“thanks for stopping,” murmors salem. the stage of the scene ? a long, dark staircase in the foyer of the manor. halfway up, she sits on a stair, nursing a minor injury to her knee. “all the wankers i came here with left me for dead once something started to chase us — i reckon i was sacrificed,” as she explains the story, salem can’t help but snort at the visual. “for the record, i really hope it caught up to them.”
“oh my God, did they actually leave you here ?” whisper’s words are both amused and incredulous. she places both hands on her hips, looking down at the colorful girl. “how rude of them. honestly, people these days.” she’s trying her best not to laugh at the idea, knowing that if she were really frightened enough, she might have left the girl behind too. granted, wisteria knew she would have felt bad about it immediately and turned back. “i didn’t even see what it was that was running after you lot, but i hope it got them too. maybe it was a werewolf...frightening creatures, those ones.”
“the scare actors that they hired for the manor are pretty good this year,” asher comments to the person closest to him, that being the only way he could think to start a conversation. “much better than last year. the guy in the beginning actually got me a bit.”
“this is the first year i’m even old enough to come to this thing,” olive explains, shrugging as she brings her punch cup to her lips. “i really didn’t think it was such a.. theatrical affair, you know ? i just thought it was a party in some building that’s half falling apart.” but in reality, the halloween ball felt a lot more like a movie production. “i’ve been trying to figure out whether or not the graveyard out back is real.”
“would you believe me if i said it’s the first year i’ve gone to this too ?” avianna questions offhandedly, leaning against the wall whilst listening attentively to her daughter. “i’ve not lived here long enough to have celebrated any holidays yet.”
after suffering through what feels like hours of being hit on by the creepiest person imaginable, ireland quickly jumps on the first opportunity to jump ship. ❝ oh, damn, look at that ! my date’s finally here, i gotta go— ❞ she announces loudly, letting her hands flop to her side as she rushes away from the conversation. ireland links her arm with the random person she previously motioned to and paints on her usual enchanting smile. ❝ consider this a ‘ s.o.s. ’ and just please play along, ❞ she quietly begs through grit teeth. ❝ —is he still there ? ❞
cassian’s attention was heavily directed elsewhere when ireland popped up from nowhere, thus causing him to jump when her arm linked with his own. “jeez -- perhaps warn a man before yo--” he’s cut off my her plea for help, eyebrows furrowing as ocean blue hues shoot up, going for the direction she’d seemingly appeared from. an easy smile graces his lips and he pulls the blonde closer, laughing lightly as he shifts his gaze back down to her as if she’d said something funny. “he’s watching. might i suggest we head in the opposite direction, m’lady ?”
now resetting HAYLEY MARSHALL from ( the originals ) ! now they’re AVIANNA “IVY” DE LUNA, a twenty seven y/o who’s currently a veterinarian. they arrived ( three months ) ago & they ( do ) remember their old life. fans say they’re [ LOYAL + RESOURCEFUL ] but [ ARROGANT + HARD HEADED ] & associate them w/ crescent moons, forest trails, dream catchers, family trees, combat boots, & autumn mornings.
“ sometimes when i feel like it’s me against the world, it keeps me going. ”
01. when the virtual reality shut down, what was your reaction ? how did you handle the dark period?
“i didn’t get a chance to witness the initial shut down. i was locked in my own personal world of darkness, which was just the most amazing experience, let me tell you. if i had been there though, i probably wouldn’t have handled it well at all. i’m much more of an ‘ act now question later ’ kind of person, and you know what they say...heads will roll..”
02. what was your reaction to finding out you were fiction ? how did you feel about the offer to become human ?
"no one fucking told me i was fiction, because no one had the decency to tell me what the fuck was happening when they plucked me out of my own eternal darkness without any warning. i was there one day and then the next, i was out for a run here on the island, all my memories rushing back at once.”
03. before the island, where did you live ? what was your reset life like ? who are the significant people in your lives ?
"i had an okay life. it was mostly just me and my mom, seeing as my dad took off when i was little. and then when i turned fifteen, my mom died, leaving me on my own. i was put into the system, tossed around from house to house until i turned eighteen, and once i’d managed to get my GED, i got a stable job and moved into an absolute shithole apartment.” ivy laughs lightly to herself, fondly remembering that tiny living space. “and then after a few years, i managed to move into a much nicer apartment in the french quarter, where i was able to put myself through online classes in order to become a veterinarian. so yeah, nice life. struggles and hardship galore, but whatever.”
04. what drew you to the island ?
"i was offered a journalism gig for the island’s newspaper. one of my articles that i had written for a recap of one of my school’s other games circulated around the internet and the main publisher of elysium’s paper contacted me. the pay was decent, so i agreed.”
05. do you have any secrets ( big or small ) that you think are private when in reality you were broadcasted live to the whole world ?
"wait -- are you telling me that none of my moments have ever been private ?”
06. what are the major similarities between the character’s canon life & their reset life ? what about the differences ?
the biggest difference between hayley marshall and avianna de luna is the fact that ivy had a parent to live with until she was a teenager, whereas hayley lost her parents when she was a baby. everything else is relatively the same, minus all the supernatural stuff.
oh yeah that reminds me -- big death / murder tw here: when hayley remembered everything and the programmers ripped her off the street to keep her quiet, she got really angry and used that supernatural strength of hers to snap one of their necks, thus triggering her werewolf curse.
07. how much of your old life do they remember ? what did the programmers bribe you with in order to keep you quiet?
"i remember everything. my death, the conversation i had with my daughter even after i had died -- all of it. my whole entire life came rushing back to me on the sidewalk after seeing a mother and daughter at the playground. and then i was manhandled off the street by some big mafia looking dudes, which didn’t exactly go well for them, and they told me hope was here. after that, i agreed to whatever they wanted.”
now resetting KILLIAN JONES [ OG ] from ( once upon a time ) ! now they’re CASSIAN JAMESON, a twenty seven y/o who’s currently a antique shop owner. they arrived ( five years ) ago & they ( do ) remember their old life. fans say they’re [ CHARMING + CLEVER ] but [ DEVIOUS + SARCASTIC ] & associate them w/ rough waves, leather jackets, torn sails, thunderstorms, ships in a bottle, & fresh parchment paper. .
“ i’m not a bloody matchmaker ! ”
01. when the virtual reality shut down, what was your reaction ? how did you handle the dark period?
“can i be honest and say that as soon as the lights went out, my first reaction was to say “i didn’t do it” very loudly, just to make sure everyone knew that i definitely didn’t have anything to do with it ? after the initial shock, i went right into what my wife would call my ‘dad mode’ meaning i essentially went full on papa bear. the whole dark period was exhausting, though. everyone looked to emma as the savior, and as much as i love that aspect of my wife, i will never not be annoyed that we didn’t get a moments peace during this time, even if a moments peace seems quite far-fetched.”
02. what was your reaction to finding out you were fiction ?
"i didn’t believe it at first. at all, actually. there was no way i, captain bloody hook, was fictional. and then i realized that yes, i was fictional. i’d been fictional from the very beginning of my own story -- i just didn’t know that it was some sort of fiction-ception. that’s what was so weird about it all. the fact that i was fiction in my own world, and fiction to the real world as well.”
03. before the island, where did you live ? what was your reset life like ? who are the significant people in your lives ?
thissa whole tbd.
04. what drew you to the island ?
"i don’t...quite know how i ended up on this island, actually. i had started up a new venture -- i was sailing around the world, y’see, and stopped at this island just for a few nights and...well, a few nights turned into a few years.”
05. do you have any secrets ( big or small ) that you think are private when in reality you were broadcasted live to the whole world ?
"i shoplifted at a 7/11 once, when i was a teenager. got away with it too -- though apparently the whole bloody world saw. that’s rather festive, don’t y’think ?”
06. what are the major similarities between the character’s canon life & their reset life ? what about the differences ?
there really aren’t many differences between killian’s life and cassian’s life. like, god damn man cassian’s idiot ass lives on a house boat for heaven’s sake. he’s a whole pirate through and through.
07. how much of your old life do they remember ? what did the programmers bribe you with in order to keep you quiet?
"i remember my entire bloody life, thank you very much. you have no idea how disorienting it is for you to randomly regain all of your memories in the middle of the damn cereal aisle in the grocery store.” the pirate huffs loudly, folding his arms over his chest as a rather dark look takes over his features. the light in his eyes dims a bit, and if smoke could have poured from his ears, it would have happened by now. “they used my daughter. the bloody bastards nipped me right off the street and told me to keep my mouth shut, holding up my baby girl. there is...absolutely nothing more terrifying than the sight of your child in the arms of the enemy.”
𝐁efore adrian’s memories began to return, he’d always felt lonely, as if a piece of him was missing. his life always suffered from a severe lack of deep, meaningful connections. it seemed as though every time he attempted to form one, it slipped through his fingers. it hurt at times to think about, in the early mornings when the world awoke groggily and he stared forlornly at his always-empty kitchen table. he’d lean against his counter ( seeing as his chairs were occupied by coats, jackets, socks, etc. ) and wonder if maybe he was just meant to be alone. meant to float aimlessly with no real tether to this earth, a lonely ghost destined to wander with no real place or person to call home.
but now it all became clear again, as it had in his old life. he was meant to be with andromeda.
as her familiar warmth settled against his chest, as her fingers squeezed his in the same way they had the first time he’d been brave enough to slip his hand into hers on a date, that loneliness shattered and that missing piece slotted firmly into place. he released a breath, one he hadn’t been aware he’d been holding, and let his shoulders relax. fingers still wrapped in hers, his free arm looped itself around her shoulders, cradling her head against his chest as he felt the first shake of her sobs.
tears silently spilled over lightly freckled cheeks and he squeezed his eyes shut, reveling in the presence of the love of his life ( lives ). he hadn’t felt the same pain she had, he’d never had to deal with losing her; but he had felt the pain of believing he’d never hold her in his arms again, never see her smile again, hear her laugh, never get to tell her he loved her again. not wasting a moment, the words he wished he could have told her just one more time tumbled from his lips. “i love you, i love you,” he whispered desperately. “i love you, i’m here now, i’m so sorry, dromeda, darling.”
it felt as though she were trapped in her own dreamscape. time and time again she had replayed scenes like this in her head, and each time he entered her radius of reach, he would disappear in a cloud of iridescent smoke, his smile being the first thing on her mind whenever she would wake up. it took her a second to fall back into reality, to remind herself that he wasn’t going to slip through her fingers. the sands of time were on their side in this life, and andromeda wasn’t going to let that hourglass flip on them ever again.
she gently tugs her hands from his grip, and the sudden loss of contact feels like a punch to the gut. the young woman is quick to then throw her arms around her beloved’s neck, standing on her tip toes so that she might get as close as she possibly can. her face is buried in his neck, tears staining his skin and collar.
‘ i love you, i’m here now, i love you,’ the words that left his lips echoed relentlessly throughout her head, winding so tightly around her heart that she thought it might burst. her hold on him only tightened, visions of the many moments that they had shared during their time together playing on a loop at the forefront of her brain. she could see their wedding, hear the vows that they had exchanged. she could picture their piss poor flat that they had shared, see his face when she confirmed that she was finally pregnant, hear his tear-filled laughter when their daughter had been born -- their whole lives were being projected behind her closed eyes and with each passing memory, a fresh round of tears would fall. “oh, ted. ted, ted, ted. edward, my love -- you’ve not the slightest i-idea how much i’ve missed y-you,” she took her time speaking the sentence, not wanting her emotions to cut her off again. “i have never loved someone, nor will i ever love someone the way that i love you.”
soon, salem finds her eyes back on the locket once more. her gaze flickers between the sight of the woman she can’t seem to catch up with and the chain she’s got a flimsy grip on. there’s something familiar about it — but she just can’t seem place it. she slows to a heavy stop and for once she doesn’t nearly eat the pavement in the process. salem’s attention finally succumbs to her curiosity as she takes more of an interest in the locket itself. her eyes involuntarily roll at being called ‘ nymphadora ’. it’s a reflex she couldn’t fight even if she wanted to. “don’t call me nympha — ” it rolls off her tongue as naturally as the sun rises in the east. it’s then and only then that she realizes she hasn’t had to say that in a very, very long time. when did she start responding to ‘ salem ’ ? how did that come to be ? with eyebrows knit together, salem looks up at the woman. it doesn’t quite register that she’s her mother ; she’s a touch too young for her to make that leap. “ — why did you call me that ?”
“i..” sunny is at a loss for words. her eyes frantically search salem’s face, lips parting with a gasp at those familiar words that rolled from her daughter’s tongue. “it’s you !” andromeda brings her hands up to cover her mouth, eyes wide and welling with tears as the shock streams through her body. “what else would i call you ? i --..i chose that name, after all.” her last few words are but a whisper in the wind, a plea for dora to recognize her for who she is: to recognize her as her mother. she had never understood nymphadora’s deep rooted disliking of her own name, but in this moment, soleil couldn’t be bothered to feel affronted by it. she was looking into the face of her daughter -- the one woman that had been robbed from the world too quick. it suddenly began to dawn on her that this was nymphadora standing before her, and then her knees began to feel weak. her hands lower to her chest, clutching the spot just above her now racing heart. “you’re here -- you’re standing right in front of me --” give her a few moments...then she’ll actually start to cry.
no matter for how long she’s on her own, blue’s the first one to admit that she’ll never be completely grown up. she can keep herself afloat, sure, but she’s just not.. sophisticated. mundane, domestic chores BORED her to tears and frankly she just isn’t good at them. before she’s interrupted, blue’s trying to determine how she could possibly figure out if a piece of produce is fresh or not. going by the junk food and MICROWAVABLE MEALS in the cart, it’s safe to say this is an impulse buy. luckily a tap pulls her from the sea of green. as she turns towards athena, she greets her verbally with a friendly although a slightly confused hello. not because she recognizes her but because she isn’t used to random acts of conversation by strangers under the age of fifty. ❛ what’s up ? ❜ asks blue aloud, as she arches her fingers and then proceeds to bounce them off her shoulders as they shrug ━━ it means the same in sign language. ❛ oh, shit ━━ i’m in the way, aren’t i ? ❜
athena released a breath that she didn’t know she was holding, the world beneath her seemingly re-grounding itself when blue turned to face her. ginny had never been more sure of who someones was until this very moment, staring directly into the eyes of her beloved daughter. just like that, memories of the first time she held lily came to the forefront of her brain, memories of the first steps she ever took, of that innocent, toothy grin that ginny had always loved so much. she’s aware of blue’s statement, and she wants to answer, but the words she’s wanting to say are still lodged within her throat, emotions that she’d done so well to dampen suddenly flooding through the now cracking dam she’d built. “you -- i..no ! no, you’re not in the way, i just..” she swallows the lump in her throat, taking a deep breath. “do you...remember me, lily ?” perhaps referring to blue by her actual name wasn’t the brightest idea nor the most subtle one, but in what lifetime has ginevra molly potter ever been subtle ?
there’s a large part of jamie that’s ready to accept that he will never live this moment down. to lay on his back and float instead of pulling himself out and doing the walk of shame in clothes that were soaked through. “only my ego is injured.” jamie promises as he shakes his head. mostly at himself. he runs a hand through bleached waves that have since uncurled. “more than you can offer, miss-” as he goes to accept the hand gesture, he’s taken aback by the familiarity he feels towards the woman. but not enough to recognize her completely. after all, teddy’s only ever seen ginny this young while as a very small child. without meaning to he pulls back, clearly confused by something. “i think i hit my head on the way down.”
just as he’s about to accept her hand, he pulls back, leaving them both in a state of confusion. her lips curl down into a slight frown, honey-brown eyes searching his for any sign of recognition. this is the cliff, athena quickly realizes. this is the cliff that she’s been dangling from, clinging for dear life so as to not alarm the family members she’s run into. all she has to do is dare to jump off that cliff, just speak those ever haunting words that echo in her brain day in and day out. ginny pulls her hand back, eyes widening as she fully comprehends what she’s about to do -- “you know who i am, don’t you ?” her heart was pounding a million miles a second in her chest, and she could swear that stars were beginning to spin overhead. “just like i know who you are.”
“well, you’re a quiet little stalker, aren’t you ?” aurora asks. there isn’t an ounce of chill in her voice, it’s nothing but her usual warmth. if she had meant her words literally, wisteria and the rest of the free world would surely know. “you can’t impose on an invitation, dearie.” she reminds as she continues to work her needles through the red thread.
“i think you might just be the first person to ever call me quiet,” whisper’s shoulders shake as she laughs, moving to sit beside aurora to show that she was accepting the woman’s invitation. “quite right you are, miss. quite right indeed.” and with that she leans forward, examining the snacks she had been offered. “which is your favorite of the bunch ?” she points to the delicacies, curiously glancing up at aurora with wide eyes.
it’s only by chance that athena finds herself within the same general area as her daughter. only by chance that one of the people she’s so desperately wanted to find is standing just down the aisle in the grocery store. all it took was one look -- one simple, fleeting look -- for ginny to recognize the sweet face of lily luna. within an instant, the lioness that resides within ginny’s chest is roaring, pleading to be nearer to her youngest child, to wrap her up in her arms and never let go. athena has half a mind to just approach, the magnetic pull almost too difficult to resist, but the last thing athena wants is to frighten her child. but before she can stop herself, her feet are moving, bringing her to where she needed to be at that exact moment. she stretches a hand out, gently tapping her daughters shoulder, hoping more than anything that she’ll be able to pull her ( not so ) little lily close, to brush her hair back from her eyes and smile and promise to never let them get separated again. once she’s captured blue’s attention, athena opens her mouth, but the words she’s thinking of just can’t seem to leave her lips. it’s as if they’re stuck on her tongue. so, in her building distress, ginny settles on something simple. “hello.” // closed for @mythbiitch
stranger things meme [¼ relationships]: Joyce and Will
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Hey, listen, look, look at me. I will never, ever let anything bad happen to you ever again. Whatever’s going on in you, we will fix it. I will fix it. I promise. I’m here.”
