Discover Top Posts Tagged with #touchofchatzy

Back to the Night we Met | Noah & Reza

Flashback to a long overdue talk and a much needed hug

It was still weird, not having a heartbeat to indicate just how nervous he was. Not that Reza needed one now to tell him that he was freaking out as he killed the engine of the motorcycle on the edge of Kalani house lot. Kind of reminiscent of the night he'd come over after the four month absence, hoping Noah would take him back. That time, he'd been somewhat optimistic about his chances. Now, he had now fucking clue. Noah had initiated this meeting himself but that didn't really have to mean anything. Maybe he just wanted to make sure that things were decent between them, or even set in stone just how finished their weird little relationship was. No matter the reason, Reza couldn't ignore the giant rock in his stomach that was the kiss shared with Eddie. As much as he wanted to just pin the whole thing on the drunk medium, he couldn't. He was very aware of the way he'd returned the kiss, and all of the conflicting reasons behind it, and each and everyone weighed heavy as he reached the door and knocked gingerly. With his nerves on high alert, he couldn't refrain from listening to what was going on inside the house, which thankfully gave the impression of being mostly quiet. Well, other than the tell-tale sign of dog claws skittering across the floor along with familiar footsteps, that albeit sounded much slower than Noah's usually fast paced step. Reza honestly and truly thought he'd been prepared for this situation (meaning as prepared as he ever could have been) but the unfamiliar smell that followed the door opening, along with the obvious bandaging on Noah's neck, threw every bit of menial preparation out the window. "Hey," he just managed to breathe out, for once not paying attention to the two dogs staying close to Noah's feet or even Noah himself -- but more so whatever was hiding underneath the bandage and tainting the air with an unfamiliar scent of blood. It definitely smelled like Noah but... different. Reza really should have had a cigarette before knocking, damn Noah's sensitive nose.

Sitting there feeling the worry radiating off of Reza, Noah wasn’t surprised when the other boy spoke first, voicing concerns about his condition. And it was funny how if on cue his heart just melted, the complete and utter joy of actually having him in front of him after so many days without him mixed in with the pain and the longing of having to have gone without. But Noah knew he at least was a better man now because of it, and he wasn’t going to let the fact that he absolutely and utterly missed fucking Reza Burki get in the way of having a healthy conversation about the changes that had happened to him and the relationship dynamic since he left. So taking a deep breath Noah went for it, glad that Reza was sitting opposite him and not beside him. “ Well I’m not going to say I’m fine, because you obviously can tell I’m not in any way shape or form” Noah started softly hand absentmindedly going to the scruff of Kea’s neck, eyes avoiding Reza’s at all costs. “But um I-I wanted to tell you this first, before we even talk about well [i]us[/i] because I think it’s important for our communication. But uh” Noah paused for a second trying to figure out how to even put this into words. “I-I asked my Uncle to bite me,” He practically spat out, knowing he just needed to say it before out before he couldn’t anymore.“So uh yea that’s what this is.” Noah pointed to the bandage on his neck, hoping Reza would be able to put two and two together. “And um I’m sorry if it’s something that you don’t think you can handle going forward, but I just needed to do it for myself, and I wanted to make sure you knew,” He chanced a glance towards Reza, wondering what was going through his head as the words kept spilling out of his own mouth “And like I wanted to give you time to process if you needed to. And just let you know thats whats up with me right now and part of the reason why I think I was just. I was unhappy before. But uh I’m going to stop rambling now” Noah nodded. Waiting for Reza to say something.

Reza couldn't help but think how much of a damn blessing these dogs were, as he tried and failed to come up with a situation where they hadn't helped tremendously. Whether it was in the way they were curling up with Noah now, helping Reza refrain from literally tacking the other boy and ruining everything right away, or every time they had been a focus point in difficult situations, just like now. Even though the vampire's fingers itched to have soft fur to focus on too, he wouldn't have taken either dog from Noah. Not with the timid way he was speaking, like it was definitely a two dog struggle. So Reza settled for fiddling with his rings as the words grew more and more tense until the bomb was finally dropped and his hands stilled. Noah's following ramble got lost in the white noise as Reza wrapped his head around that little tidbit of information. His eyes met Noah's quick but curious glance for a hot second, chest constricting. Not because Noah had taken a huge step, really, but more so because he cared. He cared about Reza's opinion and thoughts on this and- "Holy shit." Not very articulate but a start. "I mean... no, that's exactly what I mean, holy fucking shit, Noah. That's great! I'm, uh... assuming, since you asked him and he actually said yes, I obviously know squat about this werewolf stuff but... damn." Reigning in the little outburst, colored with all sorts of excitement, Reza cleared his throat. "So... yeah. I'm happy for you. Honestly." Fuck, he wanted to be closer to him right now, touch him or even just lean against the comforting warmth. "What happens now, then? You're part of the pack and... can go full wolf whenever you like? Or wait, just on the full moon? Damn, now it makes sense that you smell different. Not that it's a bad thing! I just... am shutting up now and letting you speak." Sinking back into the sofa to keep his eagerness from literally drawing him off it and onto the floor, Reza's eyes never left Noah's. Methodically marking every change he could notice now, even just in the way he carried himself (not including the weakness from being bitten by a giant alpha werewolf, obviously).

"Holy shit."Noah couldn’t help but wince slightly at the phrase because, well yea, that definitely could be taken a multitude of ways. But luckily for the both of them Reza kept talking, his giddy energy making the corners of Noah’s mouth uptick slightly. He didn’t know exactly what he had expected from the other boy, but this, this was definitely good. In fact, it was better than good, it was something that well, made Noah’s heart feel that strange sort of warm fuzzy sensation, coupled with the urge to just throw his arms around the other boy. But as much as he wanted it, Noah was going to resist all of those urges. Because they still were technically broken up, and they still needed to talk about things like adults, and Noah would be damned if he forgot that. Letting himself though drift into a playful smirk. “He almost didn’t say yes at first.” Noah remarked hand still absentmindedly playing with Kea’s ears “But he’d have cut his own arm off before he let anyone else touch me, so he eventually gave in” He glanced up at the ceiling with that one, wondering if his uncle was listening. He probably was, the bastard. Sighing through Noah Leaned back a bit more on the couch, still-ing his hands, much to the dismay of Kea. “I’m still in transition, which is why this thing isn’t already healed.” He tilted his head slightly to emphasize the bandage again. “So it’s like I’m still technically human, and we won’t know if the bite actually took until this next moon. But uh yea, I figured I’d start to smell different. I definitely feel different. Well you know minus the giant gaping wound” Noah chuckled out slightly, trying on another smirk. It didn’t exactly fit over his mouth like it once used to but it seemed to work just as well as any of his other expressions in the moment. Letting it fall slightly Noah found himself gazing at Reza, as if trying to assess everything that could have changed with the boy in the past month through eye contact alone. “How are you doing though?” He asked quietly, but genuinely wanting to hear the answer.

Reza was starting to physically squirm as Noah made the painfully slow journey to the other side of the room. Aside from the inner battle of wanting to carry Noah back to the safety of the couch while also knowing that the werewolf would hate that and could make his own decisions, Reza was also on the edge of implosion just because of the whole gift ordeal. Agreeing to even meeting him had been a big enough gift in Reza's mind but coming back with memorabilia from Hawaii was so very Noah that it almost wasn't surprising. Almost. Managing to keep his excited ass on the sofa, he was awarded with Caleb trodding over and threatening to make Reza's heart burst. The excited wagging coupled with Noah's proud smile... fuck, not bursting into tears right then and there was becoming really hard. "Good boy," Reza cooed, fingers running through the soft fur and filling his body with warmth - almost as much as the gift bag he raised into his lap. "I'm impressed with your teacher skills," Reza added to Noah, smile lighting up his own face right up until he dug out the first item in the bag. "That is... very red." Holding the flaming red Aloha shirt up, eyes moving from the flower-speckled material to Noah, Reza finally just placed the first gift (most likely the one Reza would hate on principle - man, he hoped this was it) to the side and moved on to the safety of something that was less of a fashion statement. The black beaded bracelet had to be something with an explanation and it filled Reza with an urge to return the favor of getting Noah jewellery (easy, there). "Very neat," he commented honestly, wondering if feedback on everything in the bag was necessary or just awkward while he slipped it on and pulled out the final thing. A hawaiian themed fridge magnet. Huffing out a laugh, Reza fiddled with the bag as words made themselves very hard to find. "See you're still intent on making my apartment look presentable. Even though this might make my fridge look way more appealing than it actually is, considering the contents of it." Heaving out a heavy breath that did nothing to quell the fluttering in his stomach, Reza finally returned his gaze to Noah. "Thanks. I love it." A quick glance over at the shirt. "All of it. I think."

#touchofchatzy #Chatzy #rezathevamp #storyline: sun and moon #//cheezy ending for a cheesy couple #ALSO HERE TAKE IT #HAVE THE SUN AND MOON FLUFF YOU HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF

“Can Vampires Enthrall People?” || Eddie & Reza

This had to be payback for all the times Reza had gone out, gotten stupid drunk and needed assistance to make it home in one piece. Not that he really minded helping out people he cared about but it was hard. Sometimes, it lead to good things but seeing the text from Eddie flash up on his screen made Reza doubt that picking up the wasted medium would end well. Despite every warning sign, there was no way he was going to abandon the guy. If he'd texted Reza, of all people, it probably meant he didn't have a lot of other options. Which was definitely sad enough to tug on Reza's heart. Even luckier, he'd been in the neighbourhood, texting a quick 'stay where u are' to Eddie as he briskly made his way to The Slipped Secret. He arrived at the perfect time, it seemed, as he watched Eddie being politely escorted outside and his drunk form slumped onto the ground against the bar's wall. It sounded like he was muttering something under his breath but the words were hard to make out with the growing hazzle on the street, people slightly less drunk than Eddie passing by and bumping into Reza. "Hey, man..." he started softly once he reached the drunk sap, crouching down to his level, face etched with worry. "How you doing?"

Eddie had protested, not to having to leave, but to an inner monologue he’d been having since parting with Owen. He had claimed to be correct about his hunch, certain that Eddie was gay. The longer he had been left alone, the more frustrated this had made Eddie. Owen didn’t know anything about him and yet he seemed so absolutely sure. Eddie had been forced to wonder if it had been something he did in particular. His heart sank as he retraced his steps and he found himself empty handed. He tried to tell himself that it must have been Owen trying to play one last head game. “I’m not gay.” He murmured as a bouncer helped him outside. “Uh-huh, whatever you say, kid.” The bouncer responded as he let Eddie’s body slowly hit the ground. Before Eddie was even fully aware of Reza’s presence, the vamp was crouching down in front of him. Involuntarily, a drunken smile began to take up most of Eddie’s features. “Wasn’t doing so great early, but tonight just might be salvageable.” His eyes closed for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. “Mm, right. Owen.” He spoke as if connecting the dots of what had just happened was much harder than it should have been. “He’s not harmless.”

Worry gave way to relief at the sight of Eddie drunkenly smiling. At least the scenario couldn't be that bad if Reza's appearance could conjure a smile. Even so, he was fucking wasted, the smell of alcohol invading Reza's senses as soon as Eddie spoke. Thankfully, the medium closed his eyes and missed the way Reza's nose scrunched up. Not that he would have noticed with his eyes open, anyway, considering he smelled like shots - plural. At least it masked the sense of blood The name didn't ring a bell but spiked the vampire's curiosity, and even more so with the following statement. Not harmless? Was this just the result of a bad date? "Come on, let's get you up." It took a minimum amount of effort to hoist Eddie up off the ground, Reza's arm wrapping high up around his waist. He couldn't help the comparison to when he'd had to get Noah out of a similar situation, but the difference in height and weight was ridiculous. At least getting Eddie home if he drunkenly passed out would be a breeze; so to speak, Reza wasn't exactly fond of dragging him along or carrying him bridal style. But he was definitely getting off track here, curiosity dragging him back. "So, bad date?" he asked once he'd gotten Eddie comfortably leaning on him, even though the extended contact was difficult in all the worst ways.

At first, it almost felt like he was levitating. Minimal effort had gone into getting himself on his feet purely because he hadn’t realized that’s what was happening, but Reza still managed to keep him upright. If he had been sober, the close proximity of his companion would have been torturous, but Eddie was so far gone that he almost let himself enjoy it. The fact that someone had gone out of their way to quite literally pick him up off the ground had meant more than he cared to articulate. That person being Reza only made it mean more. “Bad date?” He echoed with a soft, slurred laugh. “I’m not--” He looked to Reza only to find himself unable to finish the statement. “No, it wasn’t like that. Or.. maybe it was. If so, then that was the worst date ever. Kind of thought I might die at one point, or that you would.” A dawn of realization sparked behind Eddie’s eyes. “Right. Owen saw the… thing,” he gestured vaguely to his neck and nearly lost his balance, “and he kept asking these questions that I did not like at all. No worries though, I didn’t tell him anything. That’s actually why I’m so drunk. I thought he’d, like, get bored if I blacked out or whatever.”

It was all sorts of confusing, the way his body wanted to levitate into the warmth next to it, with seemingly no regard for who the warmth belonged to. Stupid, treacherous desperation. At least Eddie smelled like booze and not blood or faintly like dog... Reza tuned back in to the answer being provided, oblivious to Eddie cutting himself off. The fact that someone's life could have been threatened was much more important at the moment. "You what?" Reza hissed back, halting their casual stroll down the street to... somewhere. Dark eyes followed the vague gesture to Eddie's neck, which was really the last place he should have been directing his eyes considering the distance between them. Not that he didn't have control, he totally did. It was just... a struggle? "Fucking hell, Eddie," Reza muttered, manhandling the unsteady body over to a bench. No way could he hold up a barely stable Eddie while also having this conversation. "You actually could have gotten yourself killed, why didn't you-" He cut himself off, rubbing vigorously at his face in hopes of stemming the rising panic. Not Eddie's fault. In the slightest. "Sorry, more like why didn't I not put two holes in your neck." The words were muttered into the palms of his hands, hopefully so that Eddie wouldn't hear them, before Reza addressed him again. "Thanks for that. Even though getting wasted around a slayer is stupid but that's..." Another sigh. "We can talk about that later. Wait, he didn't like-" Reza paused, moving in closer to gauge the man sitting next to him, even as his brain spun in circles. "He didn't hurt you or anything, right?" Not that it would be beneath slayers to mess with humans if it meant information on vampires.

Eddie didn’t have it in him to put up any resistance towards the manhandling, not that resisting was the first reaction that came to mind. He adjusted on the bench, trying to find a way to comfortably sit and not sink to the ground. “Yeah, I seem to be getting myself into some pretty dangerous situations these days.” Despite the subject matter, he was smiling in an almost sheepish way; like he saw danger as some sort of inside joke between the two of them. “Don’t,” Eddie pleaded softly as Reza began to turn the situation on himself, “Don’t do that.” Eddie’s right hand raised and landed on Reza’s shoulder. “I’m not mad about it and, while I get that you need to cautious and broody, just-- don’t. Make it up to me by being happy or whatever. Is that sappy?” He asked as his hand fell from Reza’s shoulder and retreated back to his side, he was nodding. “That’s sappy.” He answered his own question. “But, uh, no. I think I’m good.” Eddie glanced down at his own body as if appraising it. “He seemed to be all talk tonight which, admittedly, sucked. But I still have all of my limbs and I will consider that a good thing.”

Either Eddie didn't have a clear understanding of just how this night could have gone, he was just too drunk to worry about it or just didn't care in general, considering the grin that seemed glued to his face. All three options were just as concerning but Reza didn't have the time (and he was the last person to talk about self preservation to anyone) to unravel that mess now. Especially with the vampire now being... gently scolded? All with a heavy hand resting on his shoulder that just made him want to crawl into the inviting space against Eddie's chest and honestly, Reza was the worst fucking thing to ever come out of a breakup since the dawn of time. "It's sappy but you're drunk and you almost died so... I can deal with sappy," Reza reassured, thankful and at the same time dreading the contact ending when Eddie's hand slumped back. Not to mention that Reza's self deprecating comments seemed to actually bother Eddie. Like he cared. "Limbs are definitely good. Especially when you're risking them for someone you barely know. Now I kinda feel like I owe you one again." Reza smiled softly, the expression colored with regret. "Wait, how the hell did you end up on a date with a slayer, anyway?" A male one, at that.

There was a wall that always seemed to go up when it came time for Eddie to care about his own wellbeing. Most of what he did in the name of survival was purely instinct based. When left to his own devices, he rarely saw himself as someone worth protecting. The danger of the situation he’d just been in was not entirely lost on him. He knew that Owen could have potentially ended his life, but he was still breathing, so he chose not to dwell on that. “You don’t owe me anything.” Eddie reassured him carefully before immediately being hit with Reza’s next question. “I--” He started even though he had no idea what to say. “Well, we were talking and, wasn’t really a date, but he was being an ass. I just wanted to prove him wrong because, you know, I’m not..” But, once again, making eye contact with Reza made it impossible to finish his statement. It was starting to become a trend. His gaze fell to the ground as drunkenness guided him to moving closer to Reza on the bench. “Could I try something? Feel free to say no, I just… I’m not sure if I’ll ever have the guts to ask again.”

Damn, poor guy. Whoever this Owen prick was, he'd clearly left an impression on Eddie and Reza felt tempted to make the slayer pay. Maybe somewhat because of his own contempt for a slayer in his life but also because Eddie, who had despite all logic become Reza's friend or something similar for whatever reason, looked hurt. Apparently, whatever he'd wanted to prove wrong meant a lot to Eddie. Reza would have prodded for more information, if not for the way the other was currently avoiding this gaze. So it was something that meant a lot and Eddie didn't want to talk about and despite the gnawing curiosity, Reza refrained. It would be better to just get Eddie home, try and get some more information on this Owen character and then see if there was something to be done to make sure he didn't bother the medium again. Eddie drunkenly slumped closer, which was definitely Reza's cue to start dragging the guy home again but that wasn't what was on the other man's mind it seemed. And after mentioning that he sorta owed him a favor literally seconds ago, Reza couldn't exactly say on to whatever Eddie was asking. As ominous as the question was. Probably just because he was drunk. The request was probably stupid, maybe just something vampire related he'd been too shy to ask about during their interview. "I, uh... sure? Shoot?"

Eddie’s cheeks flushed red when Reza gave him the green light. For a moment, he wondered if there was something horribly wrong with him since this was making him even more nervous than his interaction with Owen. At the thought of the slayer, Eddie decided to employ some of the tactics that had been used on him earlier. “Okay.” Eddie stated dumbly before leaning in and pressing his lips against Reza’s. It was a nervous kiss, but the alcohol kept it from being too tense. His hand, taking after Owen, moved to Reza’s knee.

Reza was an idiot. Like a full blown, dimwitted dumbass. That apparently could not read any situation, ever. Eddie tasted like pure alcohol, which drowned out any sense of what kissing him should have felt like; there was nothing to note really, like with every other kiss Reza had had, which should have been enough to make him pull away immediately. Aside from the obvious facts that Eddie was drunk off his ass, had just come out of a mildly traumatising experience and Reza was in a relat... right. That last hesitation might have been the reason for Reza accidentally leaning into the kiss instead of away; his eyes, previously blown wide open with shock, closing. And for a brief moment it felt nice, satiated the loneliness that just would not stop growing, but only for a moment. The hand on his knee yanked him back to the present, to the way Eddie had almost uttered the words 'I'm not gay' twice earlier and the fact that this was a 'try'. A drunken try at that. Which was honestly fine by Reza, at this point in his life he would have just indulged Eddie because why the fuck not. But Reza couldn't use the other's struggle as his own fucking rebound or whatever this was, as much as he wanted to just drown himself in the kiss and not think about anything. So he pulled away, reluctantly and slowly, just far enough so that he could actually look into Eddie's eyes. "You're drunk," he mumbled quietly, because it was the only thing his stupid brain could come up with. It was slow and nice, somehow the same as other kisses he had been a part of and somehow completely different at the same time. It was difficult to discern exactly what was different about Reza, but he had ignited a spark that Eddie had never felt before. This news was partially damning, Eddie knew that. What he had been in denial of for longer than he could remember was now facing him head on. It could be worse, he thought, he could have been facing it alone. Reza hadn’t pushed him away or reacted poorly at all. He felt an immense amount of comfort in that and maybe Reza was just being polite, maybe he’d tell Eddie not to do it again, but for now there was just comfort. A swell of emotion took hold of Eddie before he poured it into the kiss. Soon, Reza pulled away, and took away Eddie’s comfort. “I am.” Eddie nodded, his hand remaining on Reza’s knee. “And I’m glad that I am because, otherwise, I may have never done that. But, uh, I get not wanting… this. I’m gonna be fully honest right now though, I don’t even think lying is an option anymore, I wanna do it again. I won’t if you don’t want me to but, uh, maybe we could… revisit this when I’m sober.”

Eddie's ramble along with the hand still resting on Reza's knee, making him feel all sorts of unignorable things, were making the vampire a mess. How the hell could he even respond to this? The thought of revisiting this was appealing as all hell and not just because it made him feel less lonely. Eddie was definitely good looking and seemed to appreciate Reza even after he'd literally been attacked, not to mention that he was just nice. This was nice, not counting the jumble of bad feelings and guilt and booze involved. Not that Reza should be feeling guilty; Noah had made it very clear that the two of them could do whatever the hell they pleased now. Which should include kissing attractive mediums he'd accidentally fed on. "I don't know," he answered honestly, gaze moving away from Eddie's face when the stare made it harder and harder to not just fall back into the kiss. Fuck, Reza from two years ago never would have found kissing an easier alternative to anything. "Don't get me wrong," he added quickly, jaw clenching with the struggle of getting anything rational out. "You're fucking..." Reza gestured vaguely at all of Eddie, falling short on an adjective, "wow, you know, and it's not that I wouldn't want to but this... there's some shit going on and you don't deserve to become just like a rebound. Especially not if you're just... if I'm your actual first and you're drunk and this probably isn't what you..." Letting out an aggravated sigh, words failing him, Reza settled for just wrapping his arm around Eddie again and pulling him to his feet. "Let's just get you home and then start by revisiting this conversation sober first before you do anything you'll regret." ' See if you're still interested then,' he wanted to add as a hailed a taxi, holding Eddie closer than before despite everything.

The urge to cut Reza off with another kiss was undeniable, but Eddie somehow managed to simply listen. It wasn’t entirely too difficult, he suddenly found himself incredibly fond of Reza’s voice. His face was bright red again as the vampire complimented him. The smile on his face absolutely refused to diminish. The baggage Reza was bringing up was not ideal but, in his drunken state, Eddie took it all in stride. “Home is good, yeah.” Eddie mumbled softly, willing to go through with whatever Reza wanted at this point. Squeezing Reza gently into a hug before climbing into the cab that had been hailed, Eddie had no idea what the next day had in store for him.

#touchofchatzy #can vampires enthrall people?#oh it's gay

Possess Me Daddy||Owen&Leo

The fact that this wasn't the weirdest bet Owen had ever accepted spoke volumes about his betting tendencies. It was however, the vaguest one so far. There had to be some reason he was being 'summoned' to this stuffy looking mansion in the middle of nowhere, which he'd reluctantly used his newly acquired, shitty little Toyota to get to. This Leo hadn't seemed like the type to be looking for a fight or to secretly be a serial killer but you never knew. What a kick he would get out of this guy turning out to be a Hannibal Lecter type. Either way, Owen was driven on by his curiosity and inability to turn down a bet, shady or not. He didn't care about the prize (whatever was in the guy's pockets? Most likely just lint), the bet itself was the real fun. And so was winning. Knuckles rapped on the big front doors, wondering if he'd been sent to some random address. That could very well have been the catch to this bet, honestly, and Owen chuckled to himself at the thought. A nice practical joke; but one he'd have to get back at Leo for if that was the case.

Who in their right mind came to someone's house so late at night? Leo glanced at the clock, running a hand through his hair and muting the silly game show he'd been watching on TV, finding his way to the front door carefully. The brand on his back was still angry, pulsing even when he laid still, but he no longer wanted to curl up and die when walking, so there was definitely improvement. Hand on his hip, shuffling like he had the sore body of an elderly contortionist who'd been stuck in a small box for ten hours, Leo swung it open. A man stood on the porch looking slightly lost, but at the same time, devious and hungry, as if waiting for Leo to step outside and be eaten alive. He was also incredibly handsome, he realized, struggling to stare at something other than his lips, which were about at eye level thanks to his slouched posture. Leo cleared his throat and stood up straight, ignoring the fire up his spine. Crap, had they met before and now he was going to look like an ass for not remembering his name? But no, the man wasn't initiated, with no link to speak of. He also didn't seem to be there to drag Leo out of his house and demand he give back someone who'd... well, he couldn't quite recall exactly why the vampire and werewolves had come to his property, but he knew they were trouble. Why was this new person here after dark? If he could calm down and remember his manners, maybe the answer would come. Sticking out his hand to shake, he grinned, this time able to make eye contact without shying away. "Hello, I'm Leo. I don't think we've met. How can I help you?"

The door finally swung open and Owen wasted no time in sizing up up his betting companion for the evening. Taller than he'd expected, obvious despite his awkward posture, and a bit ruffled. Oh dear, was it late? He'd just shown up straight after work, not really taking notice of the time. Leo finally straightened out, a crying shame since Owen had been pretty damn amused by the other man's awkwardly wandering gaze, but at least he could now see the panic behind the dark orbs. Worry that Owen had actually taken the bet and driven up or just plain confusion? The latter, it seemed, as Owen was offered a casual handshake and a cheery greeting. Oh, man... "I take it back, you're definitely just as adorable as I first pinned you to be." His hand clasped the other's, grin matching Leo's and beating it by a landslide, green eyes lit up with amusement. "I'm Owen. Here to claim..." His gaze trailed down, a second once over that was much slower and more visibly deliberate than the first, ending around Leo's waist, "whatever's in your pockets, I believe?" He shifted his stare back up to meet Leo's, finally letting go of the man's hand.

Oh. This was the guy who wanted his... betting virginity (he still shuddered to call it that). Thank god. But also, what the heck was he doing here so soon after making the deal? Would he just show up anywhere with no warning if it was staged like a bet? And why'd he feel the need to keep calling Leo adorable? "Shut up!" He shot back, because how could be possibly accept the nickname from this handsome fiend? Again, he scrubbed a hand through his hair, mouth twisting into a wide grin despite himself. As soon as Owen's heated, deliberate gaze flew up and down his body, he took the hint and joined him on the porch, shutting the door behind them so the Family or, god forbid, Dharm woke up and came to see who was here. "Owen," he said, less than enthusiastic. The bet... Well, in that moment, Leo thought he was clever, as his off hand had been resting in his pocket during the exchange, so he offered it back, palm facing up, trembling slightly, and probably sweatier than it had any right to be. "Here's your prize. My hand was in my pocket when I made that bet with you, so for now, it's yours. There's also a piece of hard candy if you feel like something sweet." Crap, as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt awkward, cheeks mantling with color, but it was too late to take them back (not that he really wanted to). Leo shuffled, glancing into the darkness and again at the door to make sure they were truly alone. They were. He wasn't sure if he should feel grateful or hunted. "Did you find the place okay?"

It was definitely amusing, seeing the guy get all flustered when Owen had just barely scratched the surface. He already liked where this bet could be taking him; if the guy was getting all squirmy and sweaty from this two minutes exchange... well, Owen was eager to see what he could do given more time. The door into the mansion closed, a clue that there was someone inside other than Leo. Not that Owen particularly cared since his current object of interest stood out on the porch with him. Owen huffed out a laugh as the shaking hand was offered, one eyebrow quirked at the guy. Very interesting indeed. "Pretty racy thing to wager on your first bet. And I never say no to something sweet." His fingers flexed it a 'give it here' motion, eyes still reading Leo even as the promise hard candy was passed over. He carried himself in a way that indicated an injury and he looked strong, no doubt about it, but much too flustered and reserved to be part of Owen's line of work (the first idea that had popped into his head, finding an equal was always nice). "Giant house in the middle of nowhere? Kinda hard to miss." Popping the bright red thing into his mouth with absolutely no regard for the fact that it was literally candy from a stranger, Owen rolled it around his tongue for a moment; a moment that was just a little too long for comfort considering that he was just letting his eyes roam. "So, what's it do? My prize?" he finally asked, head nodding towards Leo's previously offered hand, lips raised in a smirk.

"Racy? How so?" Leo asked, coy, but the guise was easy enough to see through. He'd known exactly what he was doing bringing Owen here, and while he sometimes got a little distracted over the words and lead-up to situations like this, he was more than willing to play the game. Cat and mouse. Except this little mouse was going bring the poor cat into the ranks of his hoard. "I'm glad. It's easy to get lost out here." Thank god it'd been Leo to open the door and not some other member of the family, or things would've gotten a lot more complicated fast. In fact, Owen was either incredibly lucky or smart to have made it to his porch without spotting another initiate or ending up in a leghold trap. Probably the former, since he didn't exactly look like the type to do anything but chase prey and follow his own whim. He tilted his head to the side, taking the initiative to play with the buttons of the man's shirt. "It does whatever you want." The whole thing would've gone over smoothly if his voice hadn't cracked with embarrassment over even saying those words, much less meaning them, not to mention the fact that Owen was watching him, unblinking, ever amused as he worked the candy in his mouth, and if that wasn't intimidating enough to throw him off, Leo was a pacifist. He dropped the limb back to his side, twining his fingers together nervously and clearing his throat, gaze finding the ground.

This was a slightly unexpected turn of events, Owen had to admit, but definitely a pleasant one. Most people were so stuck up about 'getting to know each other' and what not, that finding someone who was willing to play his game at the drop of a hat was always a surprise. One that you wouldn't catch him complaining about, messy emotions always just got in the way. Leo might not have been as... polished as Owen, awkwardness constricting at the man's throat, but it would be easy work with. "Sounds perfect." The hand previously working at his shirt retreated and Leo pulled back into his shell. Alright, mostly easy. "Since I've won the bet, we can take this somewhere else than your weird mansion? I know I said I'd make you pay but I might just be persuaded to buy you a drink."

Go somewhere else? No, that wouldn't do at all. Leo wanted to stay within the Family's reach, both because he planned on calling one of them as soon as Owen was... more at ease, and in case something went wrong. Not that he thought it would, but he was injured, and Dharm liked to keep a close eye on him these days. "Another time. I threw my back out a few days ago, and as good as a drink sounds, I probably shouldn't. Sexy, right?" He laughed to drive the lie home. "But if you drove here, we can take this to your car." Despite everything, excitement was bubbling up in his tummy, Owen's masculine scent of cigarettes, cologne, and something vaguely rusty mixing pleasantly with the melting hard candy, wafting off him with every exhale. They should definitely take this somewhere, Leo decided. Was he staring?

Owen's head cocked as Leo spoke, contemplating where this nicely unexpected night was going. 'Another time' definitely didn't fit into Owen's MO of 'do now, wonder about the consequences later (or never)'. "Pity, throwing out your back was literally what I had in mind." Maybe flirting was useless if this whole thing was being postponed, or maybe it wasn't; Leo was still looking like a candidate for a late night call some days from now. Alternatively, they could just go with Leo's giddy little idea and take this to the car. A bit unusual seeing as they were standing on the doorstep of a place that looked like it hid more than dozens of rooms but whatever. Might as well but that stupid car to use. "Look at you, taking a bet and then agreeing to immorally use a car I got in a very immoral way." He didn't waver from Leo's stare, the last of the hard candy that had made this situation that much more hilarious melting in his mouth. "I'm almost impressed, betting virgin." Long legs carried him back down the first of the steps, towards the driveway and car in question. And yes, fitting the two of them inside would definitely be a hassle but Owen had worked - and succeeded - in worse conditions.

God, why did this guy have to point out everything he was dutifully trying to ignore in order to keep some semblance of his reputation intact? "Owen! Shut up! That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble one of these days." Leo huffed, folding his arms, but turned to follow him to the parking lot. Of course, he had no plans of doing anything about the things coming from his mouth even as the dirty talk continued, much less arguing since it all sounded like fun to him, even as his nose was still scrunching up and his face was hot. Everything was going smoothly. Owen became more and more handsome the more he spoke. But, all wrong (but good) things must come to an end, and the moment expired before it'd really begun. The link behind his ears, fresh and bloated like a leech after the earlier reminder to stay in his place, vibrated unhappily, and he twitched. Dharm was awake, probably pulled out of slumber by Leo's loud, anxious excitement over Owen, and instead of following the taller man off the porch, he froze in place, staring in the direction of his dad like if he tried hard enough, he'd see him through the walls. Fuck. And here he'd been hoping to see where this bet led before the serious stuff could happen. "Actually, you go ahead. I need to brush my teeth." Leo made his excuse and retreated back into the house, barely shutting the door behind him when he nearly ran into his dad, slightly rumpled, with the lantern in one ruined, burned hand and a pistol in the other. "Leo. Don't tell me I have to put the fear of God into that boy and chase him off my property," Dharm gritted out. Exhalation burned into shame, and while he hadn't necessarily been caught doing something wrong, the intention had been there, and Dharm knew it all too well from their connection. Leo avoided eye contact like the plague, taking the gun, flicking the safety back on; better it was in his hands than Dharm's, not wanting him to shoot on sight over something as trivial as attraction. "Let's go get him. He's strong. He'd make a great addition to our numbers," Leo said, almost pleading. He didn't realize how precarious the situation would become once Owen arrived, but it'd be worth it in the end, for all of them. Dharm nodded begrudgingly, and together, the two of them set off for the parking lot, one leisurely strolling and one wincing as the movement pulled at the brand on his back. There was Owen, looking like a picture of sin seated in the vehicle, waiting for him, and here he came with his dad, a weapon, and a Gift which would change his life forever. Dharm grew cold with anger, gaze shifting between the two like he was putting pieces of a puzzle together. Leo ignored the elder, grinning apologetically at Owen as he knocked on the car window with the handle of the pistol. "Owen, sweetie, I think this is a great time to introduce you to my dad. This is Dharm. Why don't you come out and meet him?" Leo tried to mimic the easy tone the two had earlier, but it was gone, instead replaced with something slightly frantic. He wanted so badly for this to go down without bloodshed. Dharm was silent, punctuating with an intense glower of disapproval aimed straight at Owen.

What a weirdo. Luckily, weirdness wasn’t enough to put Owen off, Leo was good looking and the slayer had nothing better to do. So he waited for Leo to return with dwindling amusement and considered driving away after being kept idle for a moment too long (patience was not one of Owen’s very few virtues) until Leo finally returned. With a gun and some company. Alright. Never a man to run from any sort of conflict, especially conflict that now had him mildly aggravated as he’d been promised something very different from a fight, Owen got out of the car with his hands raised and palms showing. “Shotgun wedding?” he asked as soon as he got out, looking the angry stranger up and down. No family resemblance there. Leo’s exact plans and motives were currently very unclear to Owen, who looked from this Dharm character to the gun to Leo’s panicked gaze. “Or is this some sort of cult thing? Letting a virgin kill an innocent?” Not that he was exactly innocent.

Leo's mouth twisted as Owen continued to mouth off, Dharm laughing short and bitter over the wedding comment. Then, quick, almost past what he could keep track of, with a single impulse echoing between them, Leo clicked the safety off and aimed the weapon at Owen's expensive, shiny shoe, firing, and striking true. It was a warning. He wanted to cry. His hands were shaking, but it refused to fall from them. This was bad, this was so much worse than anything he could've imagined, but at least the bullet went into his limb instead of his head. There was still hope that they could make it out of this. "We're not a cult, and you're not innocent," Dharm said in the way he did when he was growing very short on patience, needing everyone to listen close and cut the bullcrap. Grip tightening on the Relic, the elder wordlessly called on the spirit within. Leo's head swiveled to follow its invisible motion, from the lantern straight to Owen's head, curling around his mouth first, then his nose, and finally the rest of him, oozing, dripping with the dark intention of possession. Fleetingly, Leo wished he had a Gift of his own, so he could've just done the same thing minus the pistol, but as always, Dharm knew best, and it was far from his place to question that, even if it meant shooting his crush through the foot. "Fear makes believers of us all. You'd best embrace it," said his dad, now slightly smug.

Owen had always been warned that his big and ever-flapping mouth would get him in trouble, which it had, but it had never gotten him shot. He’d been shot, of course, but usually just through pure muscle and under circumstances of extreme stress where the adrenaline had made the bullet feel like a scratch. The shot hadn't been aimed at his chest or head, which was pretty important, but with the gun in Leo's hand the slayer hadn't been expecting it to go off, for some reason now completely unclear to him. Because the gun had gone off and it hadn't been raised high enough for his instincts to kick in and make sure a lead slug didn't travel through his fucking limbs. Owen's body tilted until it hit the car, pain surging up his leg for the briefest of seconds before the adrenaline kicked in to numb it. Not for long but long enough for his brain to come to the conclusion that mouthing off further was the best course of action here. "Noticed there was no correction on the 'virgin' part," he gritted out. A bad decision, obviously, but the searing ache in his foot and the fact that someone had made him dependant on a shitty fucking Corolla to stand was making him pretty pissed off. Bullet through his foot or not, he could definitely take down Leo and the old bag of dicks holding a lantern for some fucking reason, and Owen's arm braced against the car with offence in mind when something... else happened? Neither man had moved but it felt like acid (it? What was it?) as it attempted and then easily succeeded in shoving its way in through Owen's orifices. A hand to his face assured him that there was nothing present to cause the sensation but he was still choking on the nothing until he just wasn't. Without realizing it, the situation had brought him down on his ass, back leaning against the car as he panted and yeah; that bullet wound was really making its presence known now, wasn't it? Dharm spoke and the curse Owen had meant to spit back felt like it had been tugged away on an invisible string. Blood loss? Or just... sense? Believers... believing in whom? The faint and brand new echo in his head provided the answer; it was towering over him with a smug expression on his face. And for the first time since he could remember, Owen nodded - nodded meekly, even. Something deeper down, deeper even than the tugs and pulls and what felt like phantom emotions, the slayer could tell something was a bit off. He just couldn't quite grasp at the what.

Really? Owen was on the receiving end of a bullet and he still found the willpower to talk back? Leo sighed, free hand running over his temple as Dharm, somehow, grew angrier, twisting his hand cruelly to twist the spirit further into Owen, then called it back. Luckily though, as their newest initiate slid to the ground, seemingly cowed at last, Dharm was satisfied, straightening up and letting go of his anger. Leo was finally allowed to drop the gun, pity and concern surging up as the chokehold over his free will was finally ended, but still, he didn't move a muscle, didn't dare while his dad was still speaking. "Welcome to the Family, son. You should thank me. Without me, you'd be full of chaos." The words were accompanied with a proud grin and a swift kick to Owen's injured foot. "Watch how you talk to my son. Leo, bring him home and patch him up. I'd hate for him to suffer too long under our care." Dharm's expression, however, stated that he'd enjoy exactly that fate, and he turned on his heel, heading back to the house, apparently satisfied enough to seek sleep once again, leaving Leo to pick up the pieces. Only when the man completely fade from sight did Leo dare to move, stepping guiltily closer. Poor Owen. The Gift was a hard one to receive, and on top of being shot... but at least now he understood.

Welcome to the Family. The Family. A family Owen was sure he wasn't supposed to recognize but... he did. In a way. Or at the very least he felt them (somehow) and consequently knew his place within these ranks. A place he wasn't used to being in but there was no fighting back now; Owen was reminded of his worst encounter with the incubus and honestly, he felt similar as to when his soul had been pulled halfway out through his mouth. Just tired. And hurting. Apparently not enough, it seemed, as Dharm's foot made contact with Owen's. They slayer clenched his jaw, stifling a low growl that threatened to crawl up as a response. Whether he choked it down because of his regular stubbornness to not show he was in pain or just to not be insubordinate, he couldn't be sure. Everything was getting a little bit hazy. Had the bullet gone all the way through his foot? Was it blocking the bleeding just a bit or... probably not, he realized, as his attempt to drag himself to his feet via the hood of the car ended in his body failing him - the fucking traitor- and slumping into Leo's. The guy who had just shot him. But who had also given him a higher purpose, it seemed, so maybe it was okay. Thank fuck he was tall. "Gonna need... a raincheck on that bet," he wheezed out, throat feeling awful despite nothing corporeal having actually entered it. It was the angry little buzz inside his brain that made him finally shut up more so than his sore throat, so he reluctantly let his weight be hoisted by Leo. His bruised ego would be tended to when he wasn't literally bleeding out from his foot.

Leo bit back a groan as he caught Owen before he could fall again, back protesting loudly. If he were at full strength, he could've just hoisted him over his shoulder and walked him home, but for now, slinging his arm around his shoulder and holding him up by the waist would have to do. It could've gone worse, he reasoned, yet seeing the spitfire man silent, pale, and boneless was disconcerting. He shifted him, trying to find an angle that didn't pull so direly at the brand, only to be rewarded with something sharp and stiff to to the ribs. Right, it was probably a knife or something for defense, and Leo, not wanting to be prodded further, made the decision to pull it out and keep it in his pocket for safekeeping, only to find ... stakes? And a tiny skull-printed flask which seemed to be full of holy water? Was Owen a vampire slayer? If so, the whole situation just lightened up considerably. Along with hunters and wardens, slayers were treated exceedingly well within the Family, given purpose beyond what the average unskilled human received, allowed to rise through the ranks and become more equal, know more secrets, and have more power. "Don't worry about it. I'll be here." There was so much to talk about, but with Owen fading fast, it looked like their conversation would have to wait for another day. How on earth the attempted tryst lead to someone so perfect for their cause to join ranks was a mystery, but Leo was just glad Dharm didn't kill him. Patching up his poor bloody foot was an easy task, but to do it, the two of them needed to be somewhere safe and clean. Pocketing Owen's gear, he pulled him towards home.

#touchofchatzy #apaininyourneck #gun tw #blood tw #violence tw #chatzy: possess me daddy #// i don't know what to say #here it is yall

911, What’s Your Chimair-gency || Reza&Cassie

Takes place immediately after Gang, Let’s Split Up.

#touchofchatzy #p:cassie #that title is a DESPERATE reach lol

Police Station Talks | Grace & Forest

Monday April 16th, 2018

#chatzy: forest #touchofchatzy #chatzy: police station talks

Into The Woods || AJ & Lea

AJ could only imagine how Dustin and the rest of the Parrish family would lose their minds if they could see AJ heading out into the forest with Lea right now. Shit would hit the fan if anybody saw them actually. Considering his dad’s reputation people already thought that AJ was a serial killer in training. AJ still couldn’t believe that Lea even trusted him enough to come out here with him. He glanced behind him to make sure that she was still following behind him. Dustin was definitely going to kill him. Or attempt to at least. He continued out into the forest until he came across a relatively open and flat piece of land before he tossed his bag onto the ground next to a tree and stripped his jacket off of him. The cold hit his skin like a bullet and goosebumps immediately sprang up and down his entire arm, but he just let the cold get to him. “Here we are. You ready?”

Realistically, she probably should have told Dustin what she was doing. But if her brother or her parents - or anybody else - knew what Lea was up to, they would freak out and never let her out of the house again. She fiddled with the ends of her hair as she followed AJ further into the forest, practically walking into him when he finally stopped and watched him remove his jacket and she quickly unzipped hers as well, folding it up neatly and placing it on top of her purse. She brushed her hands against her leggings and nodded. "Ready."

AJ began stretching. He gestured toward Lea to start doing the same. While the two stretched, he began talking. “The most important thing to remember during a fight is to always remain calm.” He switched positions to start stretching his arms out before talking again, “Easier said than done, I know. But whether you’re fighting out of fear or anger, emotion is your worst enemy. It is way more dangerous than any person or thing you’re fighting because it distracts from focus and logic, gets in the way of making rational, thought out plans. When you’re in a life or death situation, the fear might be overwhelming. But the best advice that I can give is to pause, just for three seconds.” AJ stopped stretching at this point to turn to her. “Let the fear in and run it’s course for three seconds, then at the end of it you take a deep breath and shut everything else out. Then you focus.” He broke the eye contact to turn and tread away from her, “Think you can do that?”

Lea began to stretch when AJ motioned for her to do so. Just like she did before field hockey practice. She bent over, practically resting her lower arm (between the wrist and elbow) on the ground before switching to the other arm, doing her best to listen to AJ and maintain proper breathing. "Mhm." She murmured. "That makes sense, at least in theory." Her breath caught in her throat briefly and she stood up quickly, adjusting her breathing before pulling a leg up and behind her as she listened to AJ continue. "I'm willing to try at least." She bit her lip. "I won't get anywhere if I can't do that." She dropped her leg and switched to the other one. "But - but what if you don't have three seconds?"

“If you don’t have three seconds than you have to be prepared to keep focused no matter how terrified you may be. Nothing changes except losing the luxury of the time to prepare. But you’re right, a fight isn’t going to wait for you to be ready.” AJ explained, remembering the fights he would get in at school. How sometimes he knew they were coming and other times he was jumped completely off guard. The common factor in both of those was that regardless of whether he knew a punch was coming or not, AJ was always on guard. Always. “But the fear doesn’t began right before someone throws a punch. I know you know the feeling, like you’re constantly being hunted. The fear doesn’t go away. So whether you’re walking alone at night or into the forest with someone you think you can trust, you need to always be on guard. Always be done with those three seconds of fear.” He waited while Lea finished up her own stretches and stood patiently in the center of the open field. Once she was done, AJ waved Lea over to him and grabbed her arms, pushing them up and using his hand to curl his hands into fists. “Bend your elbows and use your forearms as a shield to guard your face. Don’t put these arms down. It only takes one opening for you to take a fist to the face and black out.” Then he used his foot to kick at Lea’s ankles, forcing them farther apart, “Plant your feet so you don’t lose your balance. And put your hair up. Attackers will take any opportunity that they can. So don’t give them extra ones.”

"That - yeah, focus is key. Got it." Lea carefully listened to each of AJ's words - this was a chance to learn something that she couldn't get from a lot of people, and she had to do her best to take advantage of it. Like you're constantly being hunted. Her heart began to race slightly and she willed it to stop. Just an example. Even though witch hunters were everywhere and - Lea glanced around the open area - she was in the middle of a forest and she doubted anybody could hear if she screamed. But AJ was safe - he had to be, he'd known what she was for almost half a year and had never breathed a word, no matter how nervous she still was that he might do so someday. "Always be done with the three seconds." She repeated, letting a small smile cross her lips. "You're kinda good at the advice thing, you know?" She walked over to AJ when he motioned for her to move closer. When he grabbed her arms she tried to pull away briefly, before realizing what he was trying to do - "Yeah, I think I get it. These are like a bit of a shield, right?" She wiggled her wrists a little bit, and adjusted her ankles wth the help of his good. "I was going to do the hair thing, see?" She flashed him her wrist, before peeling the hair tie off and pulling her hair into a high ponytail. "All better." She grinned, running her hand through her hair before replacing her arms in front of her face.

“Okay. First tip, you’re small. You can use that your advantage but it’s a huge disadvantage too.” Even before AJ’s newfound strength he still had height and technique as an advantage against those attacking him. He was never as buff or built as his prior friends that all played some kind of sport though and his speed had saved his ass multiple times over the last couple of years. “You won’t be able to take a punch like they will, so your best bet is going to be reflexes and speed. You want to dodge punches and tire them out. Then, you go in for a hit.” AJ began and used his finger to point as he explained, “Nose. The neck. Knees. Groin and ears. Those are going to be your targets. A strike to the nose will force the eyes to water and block vision. Neck and throat can stop the biggest of attackers in their tracks. Kicking out the knee to get them to your height. Groin is self-explanatory. And it may seem unlikely, but striking with both palms out” AJ held his hands out flight and faced his palms towards Lea, then motioned swinging them inwards towards either side of her head, “It throws off their balance. A little harder to do when they’re a foot taller than you, but a good move if you kick them in the knee first.” AJ took a moment to give Lea some time to process all of the information. This was different than when he trained with Reza. Reza wasn’t a fighter but he had been in enough fights and had the strength and healing to top it off. AJ wasn’t afraid to play rough. “You following? It’s a lot of information at once.”

"Yes, when I weigh less than half the amount of even some of my classmates and I'm a foot smaller than a few of them too I can see how that could end up being a disadvantage." Lea gave a small nod, ponytail swaying slightly as she did so. "Well I do have decent reflexes." She scrunched up her nose. "I think. I'm good at field hockey at least." She maintained a careful gaze on AJ as he continued his explanation. "Is front or back of the knee better, or does it not matter?" She asked, wrapping the end of her ponytail around her fingers before she dropped it. Startled only briefly when AJ brought his hands closer to her face but willed herself to stop flinching. Always have the three seconds done with. "Yeah, I think I've got it. Dodge them, hit them, bring them to my level because I'm tiny and then do the rest of the things you've listed." She cocked her head to the side as she considered all that AJ had told her. She moved so that both her palms were out, pushing them toward AJ before swinging them - "So the goal with that is to knock them off balance, too?"

AJ stood motionless as Lea practiced the swinging movement. He doubted Lea would actually attempt to strike him, even if that was the exact type of thing that AJ had done to Reza. Lea was too timid and whether AJ wanted to admit it or not, he actually seemed to care about whether or not he kept her trust. “Yes, but the overall goal is to do whatever it takes to get away from them. With what you’re worried about, you goal is never going to be finishing a fight. Your goal is to defend, distract, and disappear. Whatever it takes to achieve that final goal is all semantics.” It was strange trying to find exactly what was going to work in teaching Lea. All he had was the lessons taught by his dad who had never been one to mince words or be gentle. His father had been a harsh and unforgiving teacher, but AJ didn’t think that same tactics that had been used to teach him would work for Lea. “Another tip, elbows and knees. They’re the toughest parts of the body and will do the most damage. A headbutt will do too in a pinch. The headache or bruise that comes with a headache will go away. Whatever it takes, right?”

"Of course." She said, biting her lip. Lea straightened up, giving another nod, more forceful this time. "Just get them off balance enough so that I can get away, got it." It was good she had AJ to give her lessons on this - not that she had anything against the courses the police station or maybe UMAC would offer, but given that AJ knew more about her than just about anybody save for her parents and Dustin did, working with him was the best option - and if she had a panic attack in the middle of all of this, she wouldn't have to lie about why it had happened. "Whatever it takes." She echoed. "I do think my elbows could do at least a bit of damage." She raised them up, before glancing at AJ. "Yeah?" Lea blew a few loose strands of hair out of her face and took in another measured breath. AJ was safe. This forest was safe. She was safe, and this was all to prepare her to be more safe. Her mother should be glad, really. "What if -" She felt her voice wobble briefly, "but what if they grab you? Or is that jumping too much to start? Should I try out my skills?" Breathe, Lea. "Sorry, too much of me talking all at once."

“If they grab you, don’t give up. It’s not over.” AJ tried explaining. He used to make that mistake with his father back when he was younger. He got too ahead of himself, too excited about the fight that he would make a mistake. All it took was one for his dad to get the drop on him and put him in a hold. AJ would struggle for a few seconds and eventually give in and his dad would scold him for it. Never give up. Keep fighting until you pass out. “Bite. Kick. Spit. Whatever it takes. Fight dirty. That might be the most important advice I can give you. There are no rules in situations like these. So spit in the face or scream until their ears bleed. Pretend to pass out until you feel their grip soften. But never stop fighting.” In AJ’s situation, he rarely had to worry about the fight ending in his own death. The people at school were assholes but they didn’t want to kill him. Lea’s fears were legitimately life or death, which only made his points more crucial. “And always keep your eyes open. You have to know your surroundings. If they shove you to the ground, what around you can you use as a weapon? How many steps backwards can you avoid someone coming after you until you back into a tree? You need to learn to look out for things like that.” He paused, and stepped closer to Lea, “For example, I dropped my bookbag by a tree. Don’t look. From your memory what was by that tree?”

"It's not over." She echoed again, rolling the words over in her mouth, doing her best to take them in. "I've been told I have quite a set of lungs if need be." Lea added. "I don't have to follow rules I'd normally be very into following." Part of her itched to actually practice something - actually try to throw a punch, but all of this was important - without the basic information she'd fail miserably at actually trying out the self-defense in action and then she'd be back at square one - zero, even. She closed her eyes, trying to picture the tree. They'd come to the clearing, AJ had taken off his jacket and thrown his bag on the ground, and Lea had done the same. Copying what he did, because you could really learn from anything and - "Bottles. I think. I don't know what sort, but they're glass."

“Wow. Color me impressed.” AJ smirked. Most of the time people didn’t recognize small details that AJ had been taught to notice since he was a kid. Someone as paranoid and jittery as Lea would be the kind of person to notice something as tiny as a bottle. “Two things” AJ held up his pointer finger, “Pay attention to every single detail. No matter how small or inconsequential it may seem. It may just save your life. For example,” AJ trailed off as he walked away to pick up one of the broken bottles, and in one quick movement smashed it against the tree the bottle once rested next to. The glass exploded, but AJ barely minded as he made his way back to Lea. “This bottle would make a great weapon.”

Lea bit her lip and couldn't help but smile at the compliment, though she was quick to glance down at the ground as she did so. Knowing AJ, he'd notice anyhow. "I've been told I am detail-oriented, usually." She jumped slightly when he hit the bottle against the tree, letting it shatter to pieces. Lea cursed herself silently - she should have seen that coming, but the noise still startled her, and she could hear the echoes of Amanda's stories in her head. AJ's going to grow up to be just like his father. Do you see how he watches me? I bet he did that for his father. Those poor girls. Lea shook her head. "Sorry, paying attention now. Yeah, 'cause of the glass. You could do a lot of damage with that I bet." She placed her hands on her hips and watched him carefully. The basics had been covered which meant that it was almost time to actually start throwing punches. Yet somehow AJ’s mind started wandering. He had been considering telling Lea about the Warden thing. He had his reasons for the decision. Regularly he was an incredibly private person. He still considered himself a private person. But even he couldn’t ignore the potential benefits on both sides of a mutual trust between a witch and a warden. Even if he didn’t understand exactly what being a warden was yet. “Before we start actually kicking each other’s ass, let’s talk.” His grip on the broken bottle tightened as he turned it over in his hand, carefully planning the next few minutes out meticulously in his head. “I call this mutually assured destruction. Or a sign of good faith or whatever the hell you want to call it. But I know you’re secret so here’s mine.” AJ pressed the bottle against his wrist and pressed down against it until blood started trickling down his skin. “Don’t freak out. Just wait.” He held up his uninjured hand to keep Lea at bay and waited until the wound started to heal itself. “I don’t really know how or when it started, but apparently I’m something called a Warden. And it means I have faster healing. And super strength. Or whatever.”

"I can do talking." Lea replied, a bit too quickly, the words threatening to run into one another. "Your secret?" She continued, eyes growing wide. Nothing to do with what Amanda's said. He's not going to confess to murders that are nothing but falsehoods. She answered her unanswered query. "That's fair." She nodded again, pursing her lips, spinning ideas around in her head when AJ brought the bottle against his skin and all of a sudden started to bleed. "What the hell?!" Lea squeaked, a hand flying up involuntarily, flinging the bottle against a nearby tree where it shattered into hundreds of pieces. "Sorry, reflex." She pressed her palms against her thighs, letting her eyes grow wide as AJ's wound healed right in front of her. "What's a Warden? I mean, I know about prison wardens but I don't think they are supposed to be able to do," she gestured at AJ, "that." I thought I was special with healing. "Does that mean you're - human? I mean, of course you are, dumb question, but - when - when did this start?"

AJ jerked his head to watch the beer bottle fly from his hand and smash against the tree behind him. “Really?” he asked incredulously. Witches and their ability to fling things with their minds. Since Lea never actually gave him a detailed list of her capabilities AJ had decided he would have to make his own list. This probably ranked within the same category as floating textbooks. “I couldn’t tell you. After I was attacked by that thing in the woods I think. And yes, I’m human. I’m just also something else. Not really sure what the specifics of being a Warden is yet.”

Lea looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, that doesn't normally happen, I promise." Apparently just if I'm worried someone's going to get hurt. She scrunched up her face in brief confusion as AJ continued to explain what he was. "I'm confused," She added, finally. "I - I think I believe you, I mean, you've got no reason to lie to me, but..." Lea shook her head again. "I hope you figure more out. A warden's not a kind of witch, is it?" She took a few steps toward him, fighting the urge to press her fingers against his hand where blood had just been a few moments ago.

“I thought it didn’t happen at all. Since I imagined the textbooks floating.” AJ smiled. Next step would be to teach Lea how to be a better liar. She wasn’t nearly as awful as Blanche was, but neither of them were exceptionally skilled in the art. Considering just how many secrets the two had to guard they really should be better at it. “Think you believe me? I just cut myself open and healed after a few seconds.” AJ actually laughed out loud at this. The girl was a witch and yet she found it hard to believe that he was a Warden? “Need another example? Watch.” AJ turned away from her and strode to the fallen tree not far from them, turning around to make sure she was watching before he brought his fist down on it and cracked the entire thing in half. He brought his fist away shaking the pain off of it. His knuckles were immediately bruised and bloody, but that would heal soon enough also. “See?” He walked back up to her, “I talked to someone that works with the Scribes,” Whatever they were, “Sounds like I’m more like a vampire Slayer than a witch.”

Lea let a small glare flash across her face. "You've seen too much for me to pull that bullshit anymore, right?" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, giving a shrug at his question. "I don't know, it's confusing." She had power, surely - that much was undeniable no matter how much she had to keep from mentioning it, but AJ's power? It was new and nebulous and confusing. "I-" She began, but before she could finish, AJ had slammed his fist against a tree, snapping it, and Lea willed herself not to jump or react to it. He was showing her something secret, not something terrible. "But I thought the Scribes were a historical society - you know what, never mind." She took a few more steps toward him, until they were less than a foot apart from one another. "Well, if it can help you, whatever you are," which I still don't get or totally believe in, "then that's good. I'm glad for you."

In AJ’s opinion, he had seen too much from the moment those textbooks defied the laws of gravity and refused to touch the ground. But for whatever reason Lea probably actually thought she had adequately denied the existence of magic to him. Not interested in wounding her ego at the moment AJ just nodded and moved on, “I have no idea who the scribes are. Don’t really care to learn anymore honestly.” The Scribe he had talked to had been nice enough. He would definitely keep her in mind just in case there was a day the Scribes might be useful to him. “Anyways, time to stop putting it off and actually throw some punches.”

"It sounds weird and formal, so I'm with you." Though part of her was curious about just who these people were - if they knew things about ideas that sounded funny in her head. Lea sighed. "Wish I knew more, but I don't, sorry." She looked up at him as he continued talking. "Yep, that's what we came out here to do, so we should get to that." She lightly bounced on the balls of her feet. This was good, this was exactly what she'd come to ask him for, and theories were all fine and good, but if she didn't get any actual practice she'd never get anywhere. "How do we start?"

AJ crossed his arms and circled Lea as he contemplated just how he was going to train her. He had been debating exactly the right way since Lea had first asked him to and still hadn’t made a decision. But in the moment now, AJ couldn’t figure out exactly what about her made him think that something should be any different. The answer was that it shouldn’t be. He could only teach the way that he had been taught. For better or for worse. “We aren’t starting anything. That’s your job.” AJ finally stopped moving and stood directly in front of Lea, “Hit me.”

Lea kept her body as still as possible as AJ walked around her, hardly daring to breathe. Waiting to see just what AJ had in mind, what he'd ask her to do in order for them to start their training. "Wait, hit you?" She half-squeaked at his comment. "I -" Lea began again. But this was necessary, you had to start somewhere and if AJ was actively asking her to hit him then it had to be okay, right? "Okay," She acquiesced, holding up her hands in tightly balled fists. That had to work, right? She pulled one arm back and sent a fist straight into his chest. "Did that hurt at all?" She asked before she could stop herself.

AJ had to admire Lea’s commitment. A lot of people in self-defense training classes took longer to convince to throw the first punch. And even then, most people threw the typical empty punch to the face. Easy to predict and even easier to reflect or avoid completely, a head shot is a smaller target and harder to actually hit without the element of surprise. A punch to the chest was both unpredictable and an easier hit to actually strike. And while the punch wasn’t the worst thing ever thrown at him, the sternum is a mighty force and not the best weakness to attempt to exploit. The punch landed, but AJ’s own hands caught her wrist before she could pull away and spun it around, pinning her arm behind her back and pulling her close, “Took me by surprise, so congrats to that. Wouldn’t say it necessarily hurt though.” Before he shoved her away towards the ground.

Injuring others was literally the antithesis of what her genes were programmed to do, but it was important to know protection, and it wasn't like she was actually going to hurt anybody without need. Her heartbeat spiked just slightly when AJ grabbed her wrist and pinned it against her back - Lea did everything she could to keep her breath from becoming uneven and from Amanda's stories creeping into her head. He helped his dad, didn't you know? He'll want to kill anybody, especially us. After all, he's going to grow up to be just like daddy. Too caught up in her thoughts, Lea didn't notice when AJ pushed her back and she fell against the ground, half-catching herself with her only recently healed arm. "Ouch," she muttered, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face before she pushed herself up again, steadying her body as much as her thoughts.

“Even with me blatantly knowing that you were going to punch me, you still managed to get the element of surprise. A chest punch is uncommon. Not what I expected. Also, you weren’t afraid to throw the punch. You didn’t refuse or throw a limp punch.” AJ explained, standing with his arms crossed above Lea as she was on the ground. He made no move to help her up. His dad had never afforded AJ that luxury when he had taught him. AJ had hit the floor more times than he could count and remembered lying on the ground looking up at his father’s displeased face like it was yesterday and he was twelve again. “That’s what you did right.” Lea got back up on her feet though with no complaints and that was commendable enough. “Now, tell me what you did wrong.”

"Well, I want to be the best I can be." Lea replied, keeping her voice as steady as possible. Glad that at least for the time being, Amanda's stories and voice were not in her head. She refrained from thanking AJ too much - any compliment from him was good and meant something, because Lea highly doubted that he was the sort to just throw around compliments - in fact, she knew that, if anything, he was the opposite of that. Fighting the urge to fix her ponytail, Lea bit her lip at AJ's question. "Uh, I didn't prepare for you fighting back - responding - to what I did." She paused. "I didn't try to put you at a disadvantage before trying to throw a punch? Which I should've, maybe, since you're like, almost a foot taller than me and also know what you're doing." Lea looked up at AJ. "Let me guess, I did lots of other stuff wrong too, right?"

“Don’t ever assume that someone is just going to stand there and let you throw a punch at them.” AJ corrected, “But good thought. Your height and build already puts you at a disadvantage against anyone with some prior training. So take any chance to get ahead that you can get.” AJ laughed at Lea’s comment. It worried him that she seemed to be getting to know him. “Of course. Your form was pathetic. It holds back the full force of the punch and leaves you unbalanced afterwards. It’s why it was so easy to shove you to the ground. Also, the sternum” AJ slapped his closed fist against his chest, “Not a smart target. It’s too tough, and you don’t have the strength behind your throw to do any real damage.” AJ clapped his hands together and then waved Lea on, “Okay let’s run it again.”

"Unless it's you and we're just in training." Lea replied, raising an eyebrow. "Right? Also, I'm plenty athletic. Just still tiny, so I guess fair enough point." She bit her lip as he continued explaining - and asked her to try again. The first time had been easy, at least somewhat - she had to be the best she could, but she didn't want to risk actually injuring AJ. But he apparently healed freakishly well without her help and he was offering to help her. "If you say so," she said, stepping forward, blowing another few loose strands of hair away from her face. He wouldn't hate her, this was all for practice, it was okay. Lea adjusted her stance slightly, before turning a foot out and making an attempt to aim it at the back of AJ's knee.

Lea made another attempt at attacking AJ, and this time she went smarter. She adjusted her stance to get a better angle of kick, which was the only thing that actually gave away what she had actually planned on doing. She was aiming for the back of AJ’s knee, a smart choice when trying to take someone a foot taller than her down. It was a tender spot and one that could easily give out especially if by a sneak attack. Unfortunately for Lea, AJ’s reflexes were a bit too quick. His leg lifted and his foot came down on Lea’s ankle, effectively pinning it to the ground. He was careful, planning to be gentler than his father had ever been was tough but AJ would accomplish it. “Nice attempt.” He smirked at her before lifting his foot up and spinning around so that the two could face each other again. “Better target. But repositioning yourself gave you away. I can do this all night Parrish.”

She'd have to get better at not giving away what she was doing, Lea thought as AJ's foot pinned her ankle against the ground. He's safe. She repeated again, a mantra almost. "Thanks." She quipped in brief reply. No matter how good AJ's approval made her feel, she wasn't about to dwell on it. "I figured," Lea sighed. "I'm younger than you and I play sports. I'm not even tired yet." She smirked right back, raising an eyebrow. "Ready to continue?"

“Younger than me? Am I a senior citizen now or something?” AJ rolled his eyes but chuckled at the statement. Lea didn’t actually believe that she could outlast AJ did she? It was an adorable sentiment, but little more than that. Even if AJ already had some supernatural disposition to super strength and perhaps stamina too, he had been training for this exact thing since he was a kid. Fighting was practically second handed nature to him by now. Her magic gave her an advantage sure, but did it measure up to all the advantages that AJ already held over her? Guess the two would find out tonight. “Prove it then. Bring it on.”

@leaparrish

#c: lea #chatzy: lea #touchofchatzy #chatzy #into the woods

Wake And Bake Sale || Reed and Veronica

When life gives you lemonbars, don’t eat them.

Reed listened, his only knowledge of the liberation was limited to what people told him and whatever he managed to find through newsletter and police archives. He understood the concern and was wary as well but still hoped this could had good intentions and wouldn’t turn out like anything they experienced in the past. Sometimes, he had to remind himself frequently as involved as he was in the supernatural community, some things that happened were just normal too. He chewed on his bottom lip in thought, decided to save that portion of their conversation for a later time, and said, “I did for a while after...” An uncomfortable chill ran down his spine as he revisited that point in his life, hesitated for a little bit to explain before nodding, “My mom wanted me to too after— but...” He shrugged then, “I can’t bring myself to leave and I don’t think I’d want to, I care about everyone in this town, I love my job and I don’t want to abandon ship just because I have a higher chance of dying here.” He noticed the wide-eyed look from a mom passing out gumdrop sugar cookies, another one froze momentarily too and all that did, along with what else Veronica said, was reminded of the brief conversation he had online with someone and being left with the impression that his suggestions were more or less brushed off. He was sure he had incidents similar to Veronica’s as well but talking about his starter kits was the most recent. His easygoing smile fell down into a frown, “A lot of them may not be,” He agreed albeit feeling more like a disappointed father when he did, “But my strategy here is to market it differently so it appeals to them.” Nearing the lemonbar stall, wondering what the more interesting thing would be for her cheat day and if it was anything like the deserts Adrien mentioned before, Reed waved his hand at her, “No offense taken.” Then made a beeline for the stall, Reed pulled out his wallet and made small but polite conversation with the vendor as he picked out three center-piece lemonbars (one was for his mom). “Oh— No— You don’t have to do that, keep the change, please.” He murmured to the gentleman as soon as Reed saw him open the cash box to make change for a twenty dollar bill, being here was in the spirit of supporting the school district and raising money. After thanking the vendor, Reed turned his attention back to Veronica, offered the extra lemonbar he bought despite her pass before before grinning, “The most harm it’ll probably do is be a touch too tangy.” Taking a corner bite and chewing, he remarked after swallowing and being pleasantly surprised, “Not bad, has a pretty good amount of lemon flavouring too. I like it.” Had a smidge weird taste to it but it wasn’t so offensive to make him toss the treat (and if it did, he’d wait until he got home to discard of it anyway). Looping his arm with Veronica’s again, he motioned with his elbow towards the crowd of people, “I’m ready for stop two whenever you are.”

“Maybe I am but I have to have hope,” Reed shrugged. It can’t all be bad, that’s what he kept telling himself even on the days when he was least convinced of its truth, even now with so much resistance about the neighbourhood watch. Nigel told him a couple of years ago that this town would kill off that bright light in his eyes; and he realized he probably ran out of fingers and toes to count how many times he has had this kind of conversation. The old-age question being why would anyone move and willingly stay here? Reed didn’t have that answer but sometimes it definitely felt like there was a draw pulling him deeper, like curiosity was the thing that was what was really making him stay. Perhaps it was that way for everyone else that wasn’t born and raised here too. Without saying it, he understood the risks of living here, knew that the statistics were higher than even cities like Detroit and Chicago, knew there would be a tray variety of loss too, and Reed knew he also sounded less grounded in reality with his mention of hope. Fair chance. Helen could be good or bad or somewhere in-between, but which one that was has yet to be seen. “Thanks. As long as we look out for each other and keep each other safe, we can weather everything Ashkent throws at us.” A glimpse at Veronica turned into him trying to, somehow, brace himself to catch Veronica in case one wrong step back sent her falling when she stumbled. “Hey—” are you okay?, “Yeah, you said there was—” He began looking around for the stall she mentioned earlier again as he spoke, “—some fruit punch somewhere.” His eyebrows crinkled downwards just as the effects claimed ahold of him too. It felt like his mind was twisting around itself and his vision was getting caught up in that as well, it was disorientating. Everyone looked askew and duplicated. “Um—” Reed was paused for a really long time, like he were looking for the words and what to say but it escaped him so he began tracing their steps back towards the other stall. “I hope there are chairs.”