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L. Astor Witch

[terrestrialbound]

People reacted so differently when it hit them in the core – and she knew that Cammy was one of the few people that were embedded in Clark’s core of caring. That was why she didn’t want to predict how things would go or how he would react. That was just asking for trouble which usually would entice the hunter to go for it but when it came to Clark she was already in enough trouble and knew that she couldn’t afford anymore. “You say that and I dare you to locate a family of hunters that don’t abuse each other to some degree.” Natalie was no idiot she realized her situation didn’t make her special. That she didn’t owe some sort of monopoly on this stereotype, and man did it managed to piss her off that her aunt and her parents had managed to make her just another typical hunter. The hunter softly smiled as she walked over to her husband, placing her hands on his chest, it was astonishing how she could swift through the changes of the talk. How soft she could allow herself to be around him when the time called for it. “But I don’t want to be that couple where holidays are just made for the females getting something and running a hole through the male’s pocket,” of course this was not their biggest issue but here she was discussing this one out of the other ones. “You agreeing to come back to this town is the nicest thing that you have done. Loving me – choosing me – I think you have outdone yourself when it comes to doing nice things. I mean really next time just write the top ten reasons why you love me and I’ll still be behind.”

Lucas didn’t know a lot of hunters.  There had always been bad blood between hunters and witches. But when he had met Natalie, his lust for rule breaking had carried him over whatever fear he’d felt and then his lust for, well, everything else had pushed him over the edge. “I don’t know any of them except for yours,” he pointed out. Maybe that was a part of what made her so remarkable. After all the abuse, he knew that she would go out of her way to let people keep the innocence that had been stripped from her. She still found value in it, no matter what the world told her otherwise. “hey, you aren’t running holes through my pockets,” he said, “I got you a present I thought you would like. Believe it or not, your smile is one of the only ones I don’t have to wonder what it looks like.” Even a good decade into the loss of his sight, Lucas still was not particularly good at feeling faces and connecting emotions or expressions. He knew Natalie’s though. “you really want to make this into a competition?” he said, hooking his fingers into the belt loops of her jeans, “this, us, being nice is a bonus. I didn’t choose you to be nice. I don’t love you because I’m being nice.” Nice smelled like Sage’s sunblock, nice tasted like Ripley’s laugh and the spice of Lenore’s perfume. It was the chiffon of her wedding gown slipping through his fingers. Nice was a spice, not a meal. “I got you that car because I can feel your heart pick up every time we step outside, the only thing I want more than to keep you safe is for you to have everything you need to keep yourself safe.” He shook his head, knowing better than to argue with her. “okay, ten reasons. Go. Then we can call it even. For now.” 

[terrestrialbound]

God things were so complicated. Not something that should be news to the blonde but she had figured that if she left this town for a couple of years then she would come back when she was ready and everything would fall into place. Clearly, that was not the case. “I think that because you married a hunter – the same hunter that you had bad blood with – that perhaps I wasn’t so wrong for holding onto Zeke for as long as I did. Just sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.” She pointed out, ensuring to point out how there had been some hope on her end with Zeke so long ago. Then somewhere along the letters, Sage started to develop – develop feelings for Lucas. Feelings that the werewolf didn’t think should ever be voiced via letters but rather face to face. And alas here she was and he was married to someone else. It was probably a sign from above to remind her that perhaps she should just focus on being a professor and not love. Focus on her family and on herself and nothing and no one else. “Zeke is not insane – he’s – I rather not get into it. Took me a long time to not think about Zeke every day. I just wanted to make sure that he was still alive and at least happy, that is all.” She knew she had to avoid the hunter, she had promised him that he would never have to see him again after the deal they struck and Sage was a woman of her word. No matter how much it did hurt her. “I don’t really believe in love anymore. It’s not practical. Please don’t pity me – it’s fine comes with a lot of freedom – and with this new career change, I am going to need a lot of that.”

“No, I didn’t have bad blood with Natalie because of any of that,” he corrected. God, if Natalie had tried to hurt him or had a problem with him being a witch--”Nat and I were young and stupid, but we weren’t about that. We told each other what we were the first night we met.” During their first makeout session--which hadn’t exactly derailed things. Now, Lucas couldn’t believe how easy it had been. “My worst blood with Nat still had me dropping everything to--to give her stitches when she got hurt. She trusted me with her nephew--” the more he argued, the more he knew exactly how not bad their blood had actually been. They had been petty and awful to each other, to be sure. But that hadn’t changed what really mattered. “I married the woman I love, which is something I never thought I would get to do. That is the thing that matters more than our species difference. If this was some bullshit hunter-supernatural romance, then we had no business getting married.” He had always been guarded about him and Nat, always. Probably too guarded if he was being honest. But people had a tendency to romanticize things. And Lucas had spent far, far too long being an example to others. “Of course you believe in love, don’t be ridiculous. No-one who goes off to save the world as much as you do doesn’t believe in love. You just haven’t found it yet. But you will.” 

[terrestrialbound]

“You’re hilarious,” she deadpanned, though her lip quirked slightly at the end which she hoped he could hear somewhat in the timbre of her voice. “You can’t see her, but there’s a librarian over there just waiting for us to speak above a whisper.” It could be pleasant to spend time in the company of an individual who didn’t take himself quite as seriously as the masses tended to regard themselves. “What are you translating? Consider my interest piqued.”

“Come on, I’m sure we could outsmart one librarian,” he said. Though in Red Creek, he wouldn’t bet on it being as easy as elsewhere. “other books, you know, surprisingly there aren’t a lot of handicapped accessible books on magic. So, I thought I’d--do something good.”

[tasteslikedamage]

I’ve never loved anyone else. Never even came close.

[darkslayer092]

[terrestrialbound]

“I’m just saying – you spoke as if you and she were history and to never be repeated and here you are married.” And god did she hate herself for even thinking that if Lucas could get the hunter than perhaps anything was possible. That perhaps she could get Zeke back – that their story was not over. As quickly as these thoughts entered into her head she was reminded how they were history and nothing more. How their last encounters were just Sage trying to save herself and not go down the path of changing herself just to protect her heart. The kiss that had taken place between Lucas had been because Sage had been intoxicated because she had let her emotions drive her actions that night. The blonde swore to never let that happen again. “How is Zeke?” She didn’t intend to blurt it out but god did she want to know how he was doing. No one could fault her to actually wanting to know that he was alive and at least well – right? Sage had loved him in darkness and in fluorescent lights as well. In every shade, Sage had loved the hunter but at the same time, she had realized she had been holding onto too tight, which was why she left. Why she decided to focus her love to something else. Something that the blonde could actually control. “Ah you might have not seen anyone but Nat but people saw you Lucas – just like people saw Natalie. I am happy that you got the woman that you love though. Not many of us actually get that fairy tale ending. – and don’t feel bad – I am just the woman that guys date or like before finding the right one. It’s a role that has to be played, right? Movies have more than just a leading lady for a reason.”

“Yeah, well, I was full of shit. Apparently.” He and Nat had tried to move on. He hated hindsight as being 20/20, it seemed and unfair thing to say. But if it applied to anything, it was that. Deep down he knew he had been hurt more than he had been full of shit. But his pettiness had never overruled the important stuff. “You think because I married a hunter I suddenly get along with all of them?” he questioned, unable to keep his tone steady, “Zeke’s insane. I don’t spend time with him.” Him or his little homebody shadow with the even more insane words. He could barely figure out a way to have a conversation with Clark and he knew that was one of the hunters who actually mattered to her. “I never led any of them on,” he mumbled. Something about Sage being pure sunshine made being chastised by her worse. “You’re losing me,” he confessed at the sharp veer of conversation, “Zeke is insane. Why would you want to be with him? And if Aaron wasn’t the right one for you, then you shouldn’t be with him either. Just because your exes weren’t right, that doesn’t mean the right one isn’t out there.” Sage knew him far too well to be asking anything resembling romantic reassurance from him. Not after everything they had said to console each other before she had gone off and he had fallen back with Natalie. 

[terrestrialbound]

“Wait what?!” Usually Sage was soft-spoken and rarely did she allow emotions to drive her tone, but this was big news – huge news. It kinda made her laugh to think about how it hadn’t been until Aaron proposed that she realized how much she wasn’t in love. How she had confused safe and comfort for love and it wasn’t until she was going to have to proclaim this to the world that she realized that she had been lying to Aaron – not only him but had been lying to herself as well. “Married? To a hunter?” So it was possible – for a hunter and a supernatural creature to be together. The blonde was aware that Lucas wasn’t trying to hurt her or cause her any pain but it did. It pained her knowing that this whole different world excuse that she had justified for Zeke was a lie. Even if she had known from the start it didn’t deny the ache she felt every time she was proven how incorrect that was. “I just – wow. I am sorry – I am not upset – I am just –shocked, you know? Mostly because wasn’t she dating someone else? And weren’t you like the apple candy of at least three other females in town? – Not to mention she’s a hunter – and – wow. So do you love her?”

“Come on, that’s not fair.” Yes, Nat was a hunter but everything she told him made it sound like she was just as indoctrinated as he was. More, if you thought about it. Neither of them had a choice in what they were but at the very least when he’d declared his intentions to marry her, the fact that she was a hunter barely even came up as reasons why that might not be a good idea. “She was with someone else but--” he couldn’t say it wasn’t serious, he didn’t know. It hadn’t mattered to him, not really. “she left, I got worried and went after her and--she was hurt. I healed her.” Actually she had been dying and what he had done had put him near death as well. Barely able to stand let alone lie about what he was doing. “My parents found out, they put two and two together, figured out Nat was who I blinded myself for and--” He shrugged. Like most heat of the moment decisions it was damningly honest and pretty much blew up in his face. He had been expecting Nat to slap him, not say yes. Marrying someone he loved, that was never something he had anticipated having in life. “What?” he sputtered, surprised, “no, I wasn’t--the apple candy of three other females. It’s always been Nat.” He winced, he hadn’t expected to just blurt that out a girl he had kissed. No matter how much of a mistake that kiss had been. “sorry,” he added quickly, “yes, of course I love her. I wouldn’t have married her if I didn’t.”

[terrestrialbound]

At the mention of Aaron’s name, Sage winced and was thankful that he was blind and wouldn’t be able to tell. They had history – both of them, if there was ever an example of the right thing at the wrong time it would be both of them. Sage had been in loved with Zeke to her detriment, always waiting and hoping for him and Lucas was in denial about Natalie.  The kiss had felt all kinds of rights and all kinds of wrongs at the same time. “Aaron and I broke up – we can start there,” she disclosed to her friend in front of her, “We just didn’t want the same things in life. It was an amicable break up – and I know everyone says that but it is true. I became attached to lots of kids – kinda surprised that I didn’t  kidnap one if I am honest with you. Trust me the desire was there. Which is terrible cause now I think I am infected with baby fever. Still, think I am more interesting?”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lucas said. Lucas had never been the type to believe in the kind of poetic drivel about loving someone beyond your control or anything. Not until Nat anyway. “you guys were nice together,” he stumbled out. Sage always dragged out the best in people around her. “I have no doubt you made it amicable, if anyone could--I’d put my money on you.” How you could not want to be friends with her regardless of what happened was beyond him. “Of course I think you’re more interesting. You’re off saving the world, how could that be anything but?” There didn’t seem to be anything really left to do in this situation except come out with the truth, “Nat got hurt, I found her--my parents found out about the spell I did,” he motioned to his eyes, “I don’t want you to be upset, I wanted you there but--it had to happen quickly and I couldn’t find you,” he sighed, “I got married. I can feel you glaring at me so just--go on,” he motioned, “I’m a horrible friend I know.” He had managed the impossible task of infuriating her a handful of times, but this was a bigger deal to a romantic like her. 

[terrestrialbound]

Although perhaps talking would solve all her problems, she didn’t want to. And rarely did Natalie end up doing anything she didn’t want to do. Lucas and Clark were the only ones that truly did know the length and endurance of her training with her aunt and her time in Colorado with other skilled hunters. The torture that created the anger that fueled her to push every expectation that was ever pushed onto her to extremes. The hunter however never did get the cockiness element that came with being a talented hunter. She didn’t go around flaunting it nor did she ever feel like she had showcase her talent. Half the time she knew that someone out there was always going to be better – faster and stronger – it’s what kept her going to training. It also helped that phsical training sessions were also pushed onto her at work. So when Lucas said that she was somewhat self sufficient she always felt like she should let him know that he was one of the few people that actually thought that. “She’s not human though – and that is our job. Not to let unatural species walk – and family doesn’t mean anything – my family walked out on me. So you can see how much family turns.” Of course she didn’t believe Clark would cause any harm to Cammy, not even a little bit but the bitterness and resentment was still there. Her attention shifted from her demons to Lucas, “No – I didn’t hate it. I just didn’t know we were celebrating it and so I didn’t get you anything – and I am not going to go out and get something cause we all know how judgemental sales people can be – secret compartments? Did you send me a fucking puzzle on four wheels?

“Yeah, but, it’s Clark.” On the scale of things, Clark seemed to be surrounded by more supernatural people than most. “and for the right person, there always seems to be an exception.” He wasn’t just talking about her, Lucas had been raised in a culture that felt the same way. Except instead of humans it was witches and at the top of that, it was Astor Witches. The fact that he counted shapeshifters and other witches as friends was an oddity. Forget the fact that he’d married a hunter. The only way that could be justified was the kind of magic he was willing to do for Natalie, that was the only way that his family understood her importance. “I think your family is a unique situation.” He had terrible in-laws. Though he had given Natalie very confused ones so it wasn’t like he could say he’d done much better. “It’s probably better if he hears it from you,” he voiced finally. Lucas snorted at the tone in her voice, Natalie could talk about the big things and the little things and if you weren’t listening carefully the irritation sounded the same. “You don’t have to get me anything,” he said. “you’re the one who started her old job all over again, I wanted to do something nice.” He chuckled, “I got you a car you can hide all your guns and stuff in,” he said, “it seemed like the kind of thing you’d enjoy.”

[terrestrialbound]

“Ah well after the last letter bounced I didn’t really know what to do,” Sage replied as she thanked the waitress while she placed her food plate down onto the table. It had been forever since she had managed to eat pasta – simple pure American pasta. “Well you know I think I am going to have to disagree with you. I heard the murder rates have increased and the population has given up on education. Did you know that attendence is 45% down?” She shared with her friend – a friend that she had missed with her entire heart. He was perhaps one of the few people that actually showed her kindness and not pity. One of the few that hadn’t treated her like a broken heart warning. “Besides I have missed you. It’s been forever since our last letter so why don’t we catch each other up.”

“I hope you gave a better reason to Aaron,” he said. There had been a time when Lucas had been ready to take that leap with Sage. He’d even kissed her. But something had felt--off. He’d thought it was that she was in love with another guy and that had certainly been a factor. But there was also the fact that he was in love with another girl. “I didn’t know that,” he admitted, “but I can understand.” For all his education he didn’t really hold a great affection for school. Even after he had learned to read again. “It’s been forever,” he said, “I’m sure your stories are far more interesting than mine though, so, you start.” Sage had a unique ability to make him feel guilty for things he could otherwise justify. And telling her that he had gotten married--that wasn’t a convo he was looking forward to having.

[carpenter-sab]

[terrestrialbound]

Ah yeah, that was eventually going to come into play. But that was a matter for another day and another time. Right now she just wanted to bask in the Valentine spirit, after all, most of the time she hated the holiday or it just went unnoticed. Somehow that hadn’t been the case today, today had managed to be a surprise considering how she went to her locker and ended up finding roses and a set of keys to the most spy car ever made. “I don’t know. There is an internal battle of not wanting to deal with Clark because he is just getting himself into more shit and I am tired of people dragging him down and now I feel like I am joining the pool,” Natalie explained before turning around, the house – their house was huge. Ten times bigger than anything she had ever imagined she would ever be able to call hers. “I don’t think it is better – I think that I am betraying his trust. But if I do tell him then I am betraying her secret and I can’t judge because I am married to a witch. This whole hunter shit is too much. Clark is going to be forced to accept the supernatural and become a fake – or kill his sister.” Because hunters were so damn logical. Clark was a topic she still didn’t know how her emotions were supposed to react and it was a subject that probably would end up killing the mood. Moving towards him she took out the keys, “So – we celebrate Valentine’s day?”

“You’re not dragging him down, you’re one of the most self-sufficient people I’ve ever met in my life.” Lucas had once used the same things as reasons not to keep Nat in his life. Which may have ended up being one of the biggest mistakes of his life, and he had blinded himself so that was saying something. “I think Clark knows you can handle yourself,” he explained, “you aren’t dragging anyone down.” It was a difficult position to be in. Trying to protect someone’s secret but not wanting to betray the person they were about. “doesn’t her being his sister override that?” he wondered. Hunters always seemed to be family, the bonds of blood were a huge thing to them. Which was one of the many reasons he and Natalie weren’t on the same page about the kid thing. He heard her take out the keys and immediately felt heat creep up the back of his neck. “I figured we did,” he offered, “it seemed weird to check though.” He’d respected that she hadn’t told her workplace that they were married and signed the card without his name--or addressed it to what was technically her name. “so I’m guessing you didn’t hate it?” Natalie could still be weird about gifts sometimes. But a lot of the time she wasn’t. Lucas didn’t flaunt his wealth, not like some of his family did. But buying a car for valentine’s day was maybe a little bit on the line of that. “you find all the secret compartments yet?” he asked. 

[terrestrialbound]

Sage had left town, she had left to Africa to teach kids English as well as other subjects. It had been the best time of her life if she was honest. It managed to give her a break from the insanity that came with this town. Her heart for the first time in a couple of years felt light. Many would question why she was even back, a part of her even questioned that as well. The simple answer was that her father had fallen ill, “Ah yes – I can,” she replied picking up the honey container and placing in his hand, Lucas had managed to keep in touch with her via letters, “So are you going to update me?”

Lucas was genuinely stunned at the voice that answered him. He had respected Sage vanishing, knowing his own need for space and how that went. Also she had her boyfriend who had gone with her. It was a good thing for her, for them. He could respect the letters had dwindled. He and Sage had drifted in and out of each other’s lives enough that he wasn’t terrified. “This is kind of far from your last letter,” he said with a smile, “this town might be a shit show, but I don’t know if we’re in need of a Sage-Calloway-Intervention quite yet.” 

[terrestrialbound]

There had once been a time in her life, before everything collapsed and between traversing to new locations or sliding beneath the radar as a fugitive, that Lenore recalled being an avid reader. Books were an escape from a life in which she attempted to do the same yet never quite succeeded at, even in Red Creek. Libraries held a foreign nostalgia of something simpler, quieter… A memory buried beneath the floorboards of her mind. “Disingenuous or not, I’ll still take it,” she turned to offer the familiar face a half-smirk despite his inability to fully appreciate it. “You’ve been such a stranger lately, I almost didn’t recognize you. You in here for the quiet or just hiding out for awhile?”

“I mean, same,” Lucas joked. It was hard to say he recognized his own face when he couldn’t see it. “neither, I’m here to reminisce but it’s a library, so I suppose my emotions will have to be quiet.” He liked Lenore, it was nice to have someone around who understood what it felt like to be regarded as an oddity by your species. Though she handled it with far more grace than he could, “busy, I'm afraid. I finished translating everything--forgot that after that the real work started.”

[terrestrialbound]

“Ah well with the new recruits they do not need me around,” After all the station was smart enough to not throw a baby cop right at Natalie, last one that they had that done to ended up requesting to be transferred to another state – the other side of the country if she was being completely honest. “Debatable.” Because what was better? She didn’t know how that was meant to be measured. She hadn’t been crying since that lame ass session that she had managed to provide to Lucas earlier in the month. “Haven’t gone and punched Clark and I think I am kinda stuck with him,” Not something she had wanted to accept but she couldn’t really push Clark out of her life. She just wasn’t that strong, of course, it kept her awake at nights because she knew it was only a matter of time before her aunt made her way back into town and did something that would push her back into the black hole that she had barely managed to climb out previously. “I don’t think he knows about Cammy either.” Which was another bomb that she knew was also going to be dropped? Now if Natalie had to choose between Cammy and Clark it would always be Clark, as twisted and fucked up that was she knew where her loyalty laid but she also knew what was her business and what wasn’t – somehow this was just another grey area that life had just managed to pressure her into. “Are you just going to walk around the house shirtless?”

“Not until you’re in charge of training them anyway.” Mentorship was an eventual stop, on both of their careers. Though Natalie would be better one day with the newbies than Lucas imagined he’d ever be. Still too bitter on the species that made him prove himself over and over again. “Is that relief I hear in your voice?” he teased, knowing Natalie was glad to have her friend back. Maybe that was one of the best things about the level of disaster they were independent of one another. Lucas doubted there would ever really be an ultimatum about their relationship from the people that they cared about. Lucas wasn’t exactly capable of lecturing anyone about honesty, or being careful. “Do you think it would be better coming from you?” he asked, genuinely curious about the subject. It was a difficult spot to be in, Lucas didn’t envy her position but he found himself more and more wanting to help. Not that he imagined she’d be showing up on his doorstep with grudging requests for help anytime. if nothing else, it was now her doorstep too. “Am I not allowed to?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, “it’s not like what either of us are wearing really has an effect on me day-to-day.” 

[terrestrialbound]

“I feel like the number one reason would be that Natalie would be a bit upset. Kinda of some protection even if I did fuck that up.” Jeremiah pointed out, not truly sure why he was doing that. Hell, he didn’t even know why he was in front of the witch beside just pure boredom. This probably explained why he was so dan reckless – his brother’s coming back was driving him to a dangerous level of not giving a fuck.

“I find it increasingly disappointing that you don’t have a stake through your heart,” the witch said. He wanted to play nice but Lucas’s patience had never been that good. 

[terrestrialbound]

Maybe it was stereotypical and a little morbid for Wyatt to have been hanging out in the cemetery in the dead of the night, but it was often the least populated place in any town despite also being over populated. But the dead didn’t talk, nor were they an unnecessary temptation. It wasn’t often that someone else crossed his path in a place like this, so when the stranger appeared he kept his head down, not expecting them to talk to him. ( “I think you’ve got the wrong person, I’m not meeting anyone here. But regardless of that, don’t reckon this is anyone usual meeting spot - least of all anyone you should be meeting.” )

Lucas shrugged, hands still in his pockets. He was not used to having people to visit in a graveyard, this wasn’t even the right one. But something about the place was nice. Like even if he couldn’t visit the right graves, he could visit some grave. Lucas had always felt that it was more important to focus on the living anyway. “Why not?” he asked, “it’s peaceful here. Nice.”