#rhiannon shush

[kindan-no-kanojo]

Forbidden Voracity ☯ Dark Epilogue

[ Dark Epilogue; Part 1 ← Previous ] [ Masterlist ]

»Part 2 —Choice: Stay put— [ ♥ ]

[ Place: Kino's room ]

—Scarlett rolls on her spot, trying to deal with the Rhiannon hallucination—

Scarlett: ( I’m very tired… I need to sleep… )

Rhiannon?: …f̴̰͛u̶̲͋r̵̙̚ỳ̶͚.̷̠͊.̷̞̚.̵̝̀ ! 

Scarlett: ( Don’t call me that!! )

( Whose fault is it that I am…!? )

Rhiannon?: Save me…!

Scarlett: Stop…!

( My mind is playing tricks again…! ) 

( I need to sleep…  I need to breathe and— )

Rhiannon?: I knew you wouldn’t dare.

Scarlett: Eh!?

Rhiannon?: You only care about yourself.

Selfish fury.

Scarlett: What…

Rhiannon?: I’m dead because of you!

You deserve this!

Scarlett: Stop…

Rhiannon?: You ruined me!

And I will ruin you!

Scarlett: Stop!

Rhiannon?: Useless! Traitor! Weak!

Scarlett: STOP!

AH—!?

—Scarlett sits up; she bumps into Kino—

Scarlett: Kino!?

Kino: Geez, finally.

You won’t stay quiet even when you sleep?

Scarlett: Eh…? ( I fell asleep after all..? )

Kino: Ha. What a tormented Princess.

Who are you trying to stop?

Scarlett: … …

… no one.

Kino: Hm…

Alright, keep your secrets.

But if you’re screaming like that again, no one will get any sleep.

Come with me.

Scarlett: What…? Go… where? 

Kino: Where else? To the bed.

And if you scream again I’ll suffocate you with a pillow.

Scarlett: Huh–!?

N–no, I don’t want to—!?

Kino: I don’t care.

Stop making this harder than it needs to be!

Scarlett: Really, don’t–!

Kino: Quiet.

—Kino grabs her arm and drags her to his bed regardless—

Scarlett: Gh!?

Kino: Shhh.

—Kino lays down first; Scarlett sits on the bed, stiff—

Scarlett: … … This is inappropriate.

Kino: Well, I won’t have you waking the whole neighborhood up.

Even though I don’t even have neighbors.

Scarlett: … …

Kino: Lay down already!

I have my pillows right here.

Scarlett: … Was I really screaming that much?

Kino: Hm? Eh. Maybe it wasn’t that bad.

But it would get worse overtime.

In any case, I’m a light sleeper when I have a maniac in the same room.

Scarlett: Hah–!?

Sigh…

—Scarlett lays down—

Kino: Good.

Scarlett: …Thank you, I suppose.

Kino: Nah, don’t give me that. 

Scarlett: …?

Wha—!?

—Kino hovers over her—

Kino: I’ll take my reward myself.

Scarlett: Reward—!?

Kino: Aren’t I such an awesome Prince for protecting you from the horrors of your dreams?

I deserve a reward.

Scarlett: This isn’t the way—!

Kino: There’s no better way.

Now, shush. I wanna try something.

Scarlett: Ah!?

( He’s so close… leaning over my shoulder! )

Kino: Sniff sniff.

Your smell is quite odd like this, but... it’s different from the Ghoul one…

…does the same happen to your taste?

Scarlett: Taste!?

Don’t tell me—!

Kino: Ha. Took you long enough.

Stay still.

Scarlett: W-w-w-wait!!!

Kino: I’m not waiting.

Scarlett: Please!

—Scarlett struggles; he catches both her arms—

Scarlett: Ah–!

Kino: If you struggle it’ll only hurt more… not that it affects me.

I’m so considerate, right?

Now keep it low, unless you want Yuuri to come in…

If he does, it’s on you—

Scarlett: No—!

—Kino bites Scarlett—

Scarlett: Ahhh!

Noo– Mmn–! ( I don’t want anyone to come in! )

( But it… it feels awful…! )

Kino: Ngh….

—Kino takes a sip and moves away for a moment—

Kino: Hm…

Scarlett: … … ( It lasted less than I expected…)

Are you done…?

Kino: …it’s just as bitter as I thought.

Scarlett: Ah!?

Kino: Hahaha! 

You must be grossed out, it hurts my feelings.

Scarlett: I am!!

Kino: Too bad, I need another reward now…

Or maybe I can take more until it tastes better.

Scarlett: … … …

Kino: … Why are you looking at me like that?

Scarlett: … the… blood…

Kino: Hm? 

Ah… Do you want a taste? 

I don’t want you snapping on me, forget it.

Scarlett: … … hm. ( The blood loss, the smell... )

( I’m feeling dizzy all of the sudden... )

Kino: … hey.

You’re making an interesting face just now...

Are you passing out already or what?

Scarlett: I think so…

Kino: Heh. After all you struggled, I guess it makes sense.

Fine, I’ll leave it here.

My curiosity and I were fed enough. 

—Kino wipes his mouth with his fingers, then licks them clean—

Scarlett: … ah…

Kino: … This is how you do it.

Clean and almost stainless.

…Really, stop looking at me like that, you’ll make me blush.

Scarlett: I’m not looking at you…

Kino: Those hungry eyes aren’t for me? Heh, whatever you say.

…Here.

Scarlett: !

—Kino presses his slightly bloody fingertips on Scarlett’s lips—

Kino: Have a treat.

If you snap, I’ll kill you.

Scarlett: Nnm! ( My blood!? )

( It’s true, it isn’t… like those other Ghouls’... ) 

( …I have to keep it together, this is embarrassing enough! )

Kino: Uwah, you do have self-control.

Scarlett: … sometimes…

( Maybe I’m too tired… )

Kino: I’d keep messing with you for a little longer but…

I’d rather do that while you’re awake. It’s enough for now.

But with that you should sleep like a baby, so you’re welcome.

Good night.

—Kino rolls over—

Scarlett: … … Good night.

( …I feel warm. It’s disgusting. )

( How did it end up like this…? )

( Rhiannon-sama never did something likely. She was never this… gentle. )

( As weird as that sounds. )   

( It wasn’t the worst pain I’ve ever had, which doesn’t make it any good, but… )

( Still, this can’t keep happening. Like a beast who just tasted blood, this is only meant to continue… )

( I can’t keep acting in the safest way… I don’t want to fall in the same loop again. )

( If I have to bring back my past habits to be safer, then so be it. )

( Although, I do wonder… )

( Would things have been any different if I acted before falling asleep…? )

—Dark Epilogue END—

[ Masterlist ] [ Next → Maniac Prologue ]

#Forbidden Voracity ☯ #Scarlett Wakahisa #Diabolik Lovers OC #.YAY IM DONE #[self-given claps.mp3] #.now i die 🗿

[mmelionsblog]

Rhiannon || Peter Parker ||

TASM Peter !! X Singer ! Reader !

Peter and his best friend, Harry Osborn decided to go into the studio today because Peter had some hit poem he wrote back in tenth grade, that Harry could turn into a song. This led to seeing you in one of the booths singing the hit song ‘Rhiannon’ that was made by you. What Harry didn’t know was that Peter was such a big fan of yours.

It was a Sunday morning, and you had just entered Osborn’s club. Were you, where normally at on weekends. Through out the week you would go to your day to day job, working at fast food restaurants or your second hand job, CVS. You didn’t really have much money, even though Rhiannon was a big hit. Though, you did like that you were still comfortable with where you were at. Starting up the booth you got for yourself, you turned on the mic and started to do vocal work outs.

That same morning, Harry and Peter were both together at Peter’s apartment building. Harry was roaming through his best friend’s things, bored out of him mind. Peter didn’t mind it though, Harry already knew everything about him. When Harry reached a journal with a music note, his curiosity sunk in. “Hey, Peter what’s this?” He asked. “Uh, honestly just some poems I worked in high school through out the years. They’re kinda bad,” he chuckled.

Ignoring Peter’s last sentence, Harry looked anyways. Some were definitely cheesy, but the one that caught his mind was a poem called ‘Hold Me’. Re-reading the lyrics, his heart started to pump fast. “Dude,” he whispered. “This is a hit, Peter it’s a fucking hit.” He slapped his best friend’s shoulders, his eyes going wide.

“What?” Peter laughed. “What’s a hit?” He asked. “One of your poems- ‘Hold Me’. It’s unfinished, why?” Peter rolled his eyes, “that one’s stupid. Alright? I- look I was just struck on Gwen Stacy while writing that. Obviously things didn’t work out.” He huffed out, Gwen Stacy was the love of his life. Up until she broke up with him and went with another guy that was all about the money.

““Can you understand me? Baby, don’t you hand me a line. Although it doesn’t matter, you and me got plenty of time. There’s nobody in the future, so baby let me hand you my love.” Obviously this isn’t finished, Peter this could turn into a big hit!” Harry yelped, slapping his best friends chest. Peter rolled his eyes, “I am not-” Harry interrupted his friend. “Come on, come on Pete! We have to finish this up! Come to the studio,” knowing his best friend was stubborn, he sighed and got up.

The two drove towards Osborn’s Club, where Peter was met by Harry’s dad. “Hello Mr Osborn,” he smiled. Stanley smiled back at him while he was talking to an upcoming soon to be singer. The two boys went to an empty booth, and sat at the table that was in the center. “Alright.” Said Harry, grabbing notebook paper and taking his phone out. “Obviously, you were deep in love with Gwen and I’m sorry she left you, but this— Peter, I knew love drove you to write this but we have to finish it.” Sighing, Peter nodded.

“Sure. Sure. We can write it, but if anything doesn’t come to mind just know you will not be able-” Peter stopped his sentence, while in the middle of speaking he heard a voice not too far from where he was. “Peter?” Harry questioned, Peter shushed him. “Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night,” your voice echoed through the halls, “and wouldn’t you love to love her?” Peter stumbled out of the cramped room, and walked towards where he heard your voice. “Harry who’s that?” He whispered. Harry, simply smirked. “(Y/n), (Y/n) Jane. You remember Mary Jane right?” Peter nodded.

“That’s her younger sister. By like, two years. (Y/n)’s about to be an upcoming singer. Rhiannon is-” Peter interrupted him, “one of her biggest hits. I know, I love that song.” He mumbled, finally finding the booth you were in. You could see each other, well- Peter could see you. You were so invested with your song that you didn’t know two people were standing outside of your door.

“She’s…Beautiful.” He mumbled, Harry knew where this would go. Peter obviously thought you were cute, and now that you had him trapped around your finger even though you hadn’t speak to him at all, or knew of this man, Harry knew that you were the key to Peter writing again.

And it is his goal to make you fall in love with him as well, because at this moment he saw the way his best friend looked at you. It was like falling in love, all over again. And he knew that love at first sight was a real thing.

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #alternative universe #marvel #x reader #harry osborn #best friends #singer

[hobbithorsewhat]

Okay but I actually am borderline offended on behalf of the MC. We’ve been chasing Dark Riders since the beginning, had a part in rescuing every captured Soul Rider, saved how many people on the island from real danger, been through actual druid training before this, spoken to Primeval Trees, helped close Pandoric rifts, faced defeat and death multiple times, stole Justin out from under HER nose, AFTER we infiltrated Dark Core’s oil platform TWICE and came out alive both times. 

And she just dismissed it all

#sso spoilers #like shush rhiannon #you've been in like 3 quest lines with us

[raleigh-ocean]

wonder boy | cordelia goode & eric ocean-venable

n/a: I’ve been thinking for a long while about this, because Cordelia is Eric’s godmother and she can’t deny is the apple of her eye (as much as her daughters) so I wanted to just indulge a bit in some fluff content.

when that morning her baby boy didn’t go down to get breakfast with the rest, Raleigh worried, because he has told her he was old enough to start the day on his own so Mina and her had decided to trust in him to that

and he had been doing so for a few months already, which was nice to see he was as stubborn as his mothers in some few ways

so the situation was weird enough for her to wonder if he overslept for once, I mean, he still was a seven years old boy in the end of the day

“pipsqueak has fever or something, he’s all cuddled in bed and was a bit warm when i checked his forehead”

when Madison entered the kitchen announcing that, trying to hide her concern through a her usual coldness, it was all it took for Raleigh to stand up and go upstairs, followed by Wilhemina

watching her boy all curled up, his stuffed animal in a tight grip, tugged at the strings of her heart and went full mama mode

“hey champ, aunt Maddie said you weren’t feeling alright,” Eric only pouted at that and curled up better. “is your head hurting?” nod “tummy?” nod “let me check then, little mister.”

Mina is now more worried but her boy is trying not to make eye contact, so now she’s a bit wary too while Ray checks their boy’s temperture with her hand

“mhm I think he’s a bit warm, but that can also be me and being the actual sun”

“go get Misty,” Mina said, taking a seat in the edge of the bed. “i’ll stay with him meanwhile”

that’s what everyone did when situations like that arose

Misty had been the one practicing green magic and healing magic for the longest time, so it was easy for her to do some easy check ups before actually going to the doctor in case it was something not that serious

so while Ray was gone, Mina took to herself checking on her son, doing basically the same but in a more calm way

“did Madison let you eat chocolate again before bed?” she wondered, because she was the one taking care of him last night when they were out with both Cordelia and Misty. “I promise I won’t scream at her nor you’ll be in trouble if it’s that way,” he shook his head, red messy curls all over the pillow. “then what’s this all about honey?”

“i don’t know, i don’t feel well”

and Mina considered herself the actual tough part of them two, but when he talked in such sad voice...she knows she’s really fucked

“well, your auntie is coming to see you, hang in there,” and upon hearing that word, Eric’s eyes brighten a bit, but Mina doesn’t notice it because she’s more worried about kissing her son’s forehead

when finally Misty arrives, still in her pajamas and a shawl around her shoulders, with Raleigh at tail, she’s quick to do the oh so waited check up

“do you say he was a bit warm?” Misty frowns a bit while feeling his forehead first and then start to run her magic all over her nephew with care. 

she can totally say Eric isn’t a single bit sick, indeed, she’s feeling how there are bits of magic working in his body and they aren’t from any of them three

but which could be the motive behind Eric not wanting to go to school? 

it isn’t like her own daughters pulled the same a few times, but she knew he didn’t do it before

so Misty, in her own very practiced afflicted voice, decided to cover her nephew for the day

“i think he can rest for the day, i’m sure it’s just something temporary,” Misty smiles to Eric, placing her hand in his belly lovely. “some of the girls in the other house had something similar, rest and do something he likes to soothe his head, and all new again.”

which make Mina look at her like ‘what the-’ but Ray just sigh deeply, worried because they both have to work (and go to the doctor’s appointment and teraphy respectively) and none is actually available to look after him

until they listen to Eric say, very tiny voice “auntie?”

and Misty, already in the doorframe with Mina and Ray, turns her head to him “yes darlin’?”

“can I stay with auntie Cordelia?”

none of the three expected that, to be completely honest

because they know Eric knows Cordelia is always busy and he always is very careful to not bother her

but something clicks in Mina’s head and she knows what might happen to Eric and now she is having mixed feelings, but what if she’s wrong?

“would you want to ask her?”

and soon Misty has Delia on speed dial, sitting in the edge of the bed and waiting for Delia to pick up, her phone close to the little boy curled up with his stuffed animal and his dinosaur pajamas

when Cordelia’s screen light up with Misty’s number, she gets worried naturally, taking in count she left her alone while still being asleep and barely just managed to open her eyes

“Misty? where are you?”

“In the other house, actually, someone wants to ask you something,” 

“auntie?”

Cordelia never sat up so fast in her whole life, the voice of her godson so tiny that she couldn’t help but feel her heart squeezed in her chest

“Yes sweetheart? are you okay?”

“I don’t feel well,” fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck “can I stay with you?” and Cordelia can hear Raleigh in the back going ‘if it’s okay with you’

and believe me, Cordelia always have a plan when her daughters or her godson need her

“of course you can,” and when she says that, she’s already in her way to get into her own pajamas again. “do you want to stay in bed with me? i can work from here today”

“yeah...please”

“then i’ll see you in a moment”

by the time Eric arrives to the other house, Cordelia have gathered her laptop from the office, some files she was working on, her glasses and had told Zoe and Queenie where to find her if they needed her

seeing Eric still in his jams, backpack surely filled with his favourite stuff, opening the door of the master room kinda makes her go really soft, ignoring the fact that Raleigh is looking worried at her

“thank you, we’ll try to come around to check on him,” she starts to say, leaving Eric’s half eaten sandwich and chocomilk in the night stand. 

“don’t even say it, please, you have taken care of Rhia and Vic enough times already,” and Eric is already climbing the bed and lauching himself against Cordelia, who holds him close the second he is there. “so just shush and go, let me take care of him for the day, i’ll call you if anything happens.”

and like that, Eric just indulge in being pampered by his aunt Cordelia

and Cordelia is very much happy to do so, because it isn’t often when she gets to have him like that

soon they settle in just being together there, Delia starting to get some work for the day done after making sure Eric has eaten his breakfast and having him hooked on some toons in her phone; sometimes she checks on his temperature, by habit, and kiss his forehead getting the most adorable grin from him before going back to his video; and sometimes Eric just take peek at what she’s typing in her laptop and ask her about it by pointing at things in the screen

all of this makes Cordelia remember when Rhiannon and Victoria were just that tiny and curious, and not the two teenagers that were fighting over everything almost 24/7 and she just indulge too in having Eric like this, not wanting to think about him growing for the time being

eventually he gets hungry again and they make a quick trip to the kitchen and Delia doesn’t care if some of the girls see her like that, out of her usual elegant clothes and just with her glasses on, robe covering her pajamas and talking sweetly to Eric, which is very shy everytime they cross ways with a girl and hides behind Cordelia every time

she doesn’t care about lifting him up in the counter while getting something for them to eat and they settle for pancakes, just for today, and under the promise of not having Raleigh nor Wilhemina nor Misty to know about it because ‘they won’t ever let her live if they knew’ and she’s sure Rhiannon won’t rat them out once she comes in the kitchen and gladly shove a big one in her mouth, hugging his cousin and kissing her mother’s cheek before going to her bedroom to leave her things from soccer practice

once they are safe again in between the walls of the master room, Cordelia start to wonder if Eric is actually sick, because he starts to tell her about a story he made up for class in such enthusiastic way that he is even bouncing in the bed and all

it’s hard to tell, but she doesn’t dwell on it yet, just listening to him and let him play with her hands when Eric jumps in her lap to keep talking

and then is when he asks her to read with him one of the books he brought, and it hits Cordelia how much he actually has grown

because not long ago she was the only one reading to him (all those books he is still very little to even read but he loves so much)

so they get to it, Eric resting his head in her chest, until he falls asleep there and Delia just decides to let him nap there, maybe because she takes a nap too, why not?

but she feels the need to check with Misty, finally, what’s going on

so she texts her, getting a reply almost immediately and Cordelia only worries a bit more

‘he’s fine, Dee, I think he just wanted to stay home’ Cordelia fix Eric’s body so he’s more comfortable. ‘did he said something?’

‘no, did Ray or Wilhemina told you something?’

‘nope, he just asked he wanted to stay with you and that’s as much as i know’

Delia just barely let her phone under her pillow when she felt tiny arms sneaking over her shoulders, soft curls tickling her neck when Eric hid there suddenly

“auntie...?”

his voice is again tiny, his words still laced with sleep, gets to her fast and Cordelia holds him better in her arms

“are you feeling better sweetheart?” he nods and tighten the hug. “why didn’t you want to go to school today? i promise i won’t tell mom and mama nor you’ll get in trouble”

and there’s this silence between them that reminds Cordelia of Raleigh a lot

it also makes her wonder if, in another time, another universe, they both would had had an Eric of their own. Or maybe if everything had gone different from the very beginning

and she stops from wondering when Eric finally raise his voice again

“I wanted to be with you”

“but I’d have been with you the same if you told me once you got back” she can’t help herself to say back, caressing his back. “we were going to have your first pyrokinesis lesson, remember?”

“but...idon’twanttodomagic...”

there’s something inside Cordelia that drops so fast and deep, she thinks she might has heard her godson wrong

“how is that,” she asks, softly and making him look at her in the eyes. “i thought you were excited.”

“no...” he shakes a bit his head. “i was excited because mama and you were...”

“did you tell your mama about it?” another shake of his head, making Cordelia’s heart go lower. “and mom?” he nods and she just sighs deeply. “and what did she tell you?”

“that it was okay, i didn’t have to if i didn’t wanna...” oh no, she heard him sniffle. “that she loves me the same, and my aunties, and Non and Tori...”

“did you think your mama and i won’t?” and when she asks, she almost holding her breath because it feels like he’s going to say it.

the next silence it’s only a confirmation of it all.

AND IT FUCKING BREAKS CORDELIA HEART SO MUCH IS TERRIBLE

she takes a couple minutes to gather her thoughts and just tries to hold her godson better in her arms, kissing the top of his head several times.

“Eric, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to do magic, that has nothing to do with how much your mama and I love you,” the words felt heavy in her mouth because it pained her to listen him thinks about that possibility. “you just had to tell us and well, we would see what to do about it, because that’s actually our job.”

“really?”

upon hearing such happy tone in him, Cordelia only nodded and smiled at him, letting Eric to hug her better and just pamper him in all the love she could come up with for the rest of the day

for some reason, she felt such good soul didn’t belong to the world of warlocks and hearing from his mouth that he didn’t like magic was almost like a catharsis, for real

because it was as if his mother, Raleigh, had lived all the magic he was going to get as a legacy and now her son just seemed to have nothing with it, still not knowing how much it changed his mother for years

that’s why Cordelia thought it didn’t matter if Eric became a warlock in the future, if he was happy with that decision, all of them would be happy too

for the next years they would try to teach him how to control the only power he developed, his Pyrokinesis, so he can live a normal life despite of being born in such powerful household and thanks that his own uncle is, after some time, an active part of the camarilla of the high warlocks, it’s much easier to help him to not be recruited by them

but for now he was only a child, the child of Cordelia’s soulmate and best friend, her godson and wonder boy; a child that loved stories aout knights, dragons, sometimes dinosaurs and other times the space

and well, she might be the Supreme, but for the day she was quite fine to just be ‘auntie Cordelia’ for her only nephew, who she loved so dearly, and indulge a bit in that part of her life she came to love as well

the one in which she felt like she managed to have a family.

#american horror story #ahs coven #ahs apocalypse #cordelia goode #raleigh ocean #wilhemina venable #misty day

[stevienicksrps]

hiraeth!

hiraeth: a particular type of longing for the homeland or the romanticised past

She is seven years old, and this party is confusing. There’s no cake and ice cream like there are when her friends have a birthday, and there are no party games, but all of the grown-ups are laughing and drinking out of fancy glasses that her mom said not to touch. Her dress that her mom bought her for the party is glittery and twirls when she spins, but it’s a little itchy too, and the combination of uncomfortable clothing and boredom amongst the numerous adults is making her a little grumpy.

There are so many people here — some familiar, like Jeff who works with her daddy and Brad who taught her how to bang on the drums when she visited the studio, and many unfamiliar, who all seem to dismiss her with nothing more than a pat on her head. 

Rhiannon is one half-hearted attempt at conversation away from screaming in the middle of the marble floor when suddenly her view of the room shifts. Ezra is picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder, and Rhiannon shrieks with laughter. There’s a half-hearted attempt to shush her, but her daddy sees them and waves them off with a smile, going back to whoever was in the suits next to him. 

Ezra carries Rhiannon outside to where Hudson is waiting with a gameboy, a flashlight, and some popcorn, and they unceremoniously plop down on the ground. 

“What just happened?” she asks, and Hudson scoffs. 

“Ez just saved your life,” he said. “That party is snoresville.”

Ezra chuckles and steals popcorn out of Hudson’s hand. “Yeah. Snoresville all the way.”

-

Rhiannon has adjusted and re-adjusted the strap of her dress more times than she could count. It’s her album release party, and everyone she’s ever met at the record label — and even some people she hadn’t — have come to the lounge rented out by the producers. A way to drum up excitement for the project, they said, but Rhiannon is pretty sure it’s just an excuse for a lot of the adult-ier adults to dress up and get hammered. 

If Rhiannon had had her way, it would have been a few dozen people sitting outside and listening to the music from the album, but apparently an extravagant party was more the speed of the people backing her and Graham. It made Rhiannon want to stab herself in the eye, but that was the price she paid for getting to use a professional recording studio and for someone else to handle publishing and manufacturing. So she has to mingle with people who don’t care to learn more about her than her famous last name? She’ll get over it.  

She looks around the room to see Graham cornered by a grandmotherly-looking woman that has become infatuated with him, and she smirks as he stammers through conversation. Rhiannon wraps her arms around herself, and considers trying to introduce herself to a gaggle of people in the center of the room, when she catches motion out of the corner of her eye, and the next thing she knows, she’s being jerked backwards.

With little more than a squeak of surprise, Rhiannon turns around lightning fast, and her eyers widen as she realizes who is standing in front of her.

“C’mon,” Ezra says, tugging her arm again. “Hudson already scoped out a hiding spot. Text your partner.” Rhiannon follows willingly and is led out onto the balcony that she didn’t even know existed. Hudson, true to form, is sitting on the floor, a bottle of champagne to his left and his phone to his right. 

“Finally, Rhi,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “I get that you’re kind of a big deal now, but these people are —”

“Straight snoresville,” Ezra finished with a wry grin.

“I’m pretty sure one of the milfy producers in there grabbed my ass,” Hudson added, and picked up the bottle of champagne to take a swig. 

“So what are you doing here? That seems right up your alley,” Rhiannon shot back, crossing her legs and sitting down across from him, arm reached out for the bottle whenever her middle brother was done. 

“Please. I’m free-spirited, Rhiannon. I’m not desperate.” He scoffs, and fakes her out by pretending to give her the bottle only to pull it away at the last minute. 

Rhiannon and Ezra glance at each other, and Rhiannon has to look away to stop her giggles. Hudson was notorious for the string of romantic partners — of all genders — that he left in his wake. Hurricane Hudson would surely end up with another admirer or two by the end of the evening.

“Night’s young,” Ezra says as he leans against the railing. “You never know.” 

“Uh, yeah. Gigi Hadid could walk in the party and I wouldn’t head back out there. I just ordered a pizza, I’m good for the rest of the night.”

“Huds, they catered this thing,” Rhiannon says, pulling her phone out of her pocket to text Graham. 

“Yeah, but are they catering pizza? I didn’t think so,” Hudson says smartly.

“Can’t argue with that logic,” Ezra adds, and Rhiannon sticks her tongue out at them.

They fall into a comfortable silence, each of them fidgeting in their own way. 

“Hey,” Rhiannon pipes up. “Remember when we were little and Dad would have these parties?”

“Yeah,” Hudson replies. “They kind of blend together, but I always remember the laughing.”

“And the sparkles. Someone was always wearing sparkles. Everything was so fancy,” Rhiannon adds wistfully.

Ezra chimes in. “People used to do coke in the bathroom. Someone puked on me once.” Both Hudson and Rhiannon stare at Ezra in shock, and he shrugs. 

“I don’t know why that surprises me, but it does.” Hudson rests his head in his hand, and Rhiannon takes the opportunity to snag the bottle of champagne from her brother and finally take a swill. 

“I miss my gameboy.”

“I miss your gameboy, too,” Ezra says. “Remember when Hudson saved over your Pokemon game?”

Rhiannon and Hudson groan in unison. 

“I was so mad,” Rhiannon says. “I was ready to murder you in your sleep.”

“You were always ready to murder me, that doesn’t mean anything anymore,” Hudson retorts. 

Rhiannon is about to argue, to bicker like they did as children, but leans back and looks up at the sky instead. 

“Man, I missed this. Thanks for pulling me out here.”

“I missed it too,” Ezra offers. “Even if it’s only because you guys don’t remember any of the weird stuff.”

A long pause, and then a throat clears. 

“Hey, uh,” Graham steps out onto the balcony. “Some guy just tried to deliver pizza here?”

Hudson jumps up and rushes out to the main floor, and Ezra straightens up to greet Graham. 

“We’re reliving old traditions. C’mon over.”

#i don't think i did this QUITE right but i enjoyed it nonetheless #meme response #pretendsweetly

[kindan-no-kanojo]

Forbidden Voracity ☯ Dark Epilogue

[ Dark Epilogue; Part 1 ← Previous ] [ Masterlist ]

»Part 2 —Choice: Approach—

[ Place: Kino's room ]

—Scarlett rolls on her spot, trying to deal with the Rhiannon hallucination—

Scarlett: ( Shut up… ) 

( Please stop already…! )

Rhiannon?: …f̴̰͛u̶̲͋r̵̙̚ỳ̶͚.̷̠͊.̷̞̚.̵̝̀ ! 

Scarlett: ( Don’t call me that!! )

—Scarlett sits up—

Scarlett: ( You are… not real… )

( You aren’t here… )

( And I’m going to prove it…! )

—She stands up; slowly approaches Kino’s bed—

Scarlett: Haa… Ha…

… …

( Slowly... Quietly... I know you are not here... )

Kino: …. zzz … zzz…

Scarlett: Ha…

( I don’t hear her…! Ha, she’s gone… the ringing in my ears is fading too… )

( It’s working…! I see Kino, it’s him after all! I knew—! )

… …!?

( What am I doing!? )

—Scarlett finds herself standing next to a sleeping Kino—

Kino: …zzz… zzz…

Scarlett: … … ( … I’m done here. I have to go back… )

( This was a bad idea… )

( …partially, Rhiannon-sama is gone… but now I’m in danger. )

( Go back… just as slowly… )

Kino: … nnn.

Sniff sniff.

Scarlett: ——!?

—Scarlett freezes; Kino rolls over and hugs his pillow—

Kino: Nnm… zzz… zzz.

Scarlett: … ( Phew… )

( I’m on edge. And for what? )

( He’s sleeping soundly. It’s okay, the nightmare must be over… )

( It’s not like— ) 

—Scarlett knocks something over—

—Thud—

Scarlett: !!!!!

Kino: Nn!?

Scarlett: ( Oh no. )

( Nononononono— )

Kino: …I knew I was smelling something fishy.

Scarlett: Eh!? 

—Kino sits up—

Kino: What are you doing? 

Scarlett: …what…? Uh.

I was… I… Uh… I’ll be—

Kino: Hmm. 

Can you make up a convincing excuse quickly or should I punish you now?

Scarlett: Punish—!?

Kino: I caught you red-handed, so, yeah? 

You’re not calm enough for me to believe you wanted to wake me up.

Were you about to commit to that wild idea of killing me in my sleep?

Scarlett: Kill—!? 

No! That’s not—!

I was—, I just, I heard, I—

Kino: Heard?

Scarlett: No!?

Kino: Hah!?

Ten seconds.

Scarlett: …Eh?

Kino: Nine.

Scarlett: What!?!?!

What do I—!?!?

Kino: Eight. 

Scarlett: Stop!!!

Kino: Se~ven~

Scarlett: Sorry!?

Kino: Six~…

Scarlett: I—!? I won’t hurt you! I can’t—!?

Kino: Five~ 

Fufufufu~~

Scarlett: No—!

—Scarlett steps back; quickly heads to her previous spot—

Kino: …fourthreetwoone.

Time’s up.

—Kino grabs Scarlett by her wrist and pulls her onto his bed—

Scarlett: AH!?

No–!!!

Mffhg!

—Kino cover’s Scarlett’s mouth with his hand—

Kino: Shush.

Don’t make a scandal.

Scarlett: Nmm!! 

( He’s grabbing my wrist too forcefully! )

( I can’t push him away— I can barely move…! )

—Scarlett struggles—

Kino: Ngh!

You have too much energy.

We have to change that...

Scarlett: Mmhm!?! ( He is getting closer...! )

Nmmg!!

Kino: Shhhh.

We both know that you can’t hurt me.

I won’t let you try, though.

Stay still if you don’t want this to hurt too much, okay?

Scarlett: ——!? 

( He’s breathing right on my neck!? )

( Don’t tell me, this— )

( This Vampire is going to…! )

—Scarlett struggles some more—

Kino: A~ah. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy either.

But… the fear in your face is way too good.

Heh. I admit I missed that. 

—Kino holds both her wrists, uncovering her mouth—

Scarlett: Ah! No—!!

Don’t you—!

Kino: I will, so shut up. I think it’s a good time to feed my curiosity.

And by punishing you I’ll get two birds with one stone. 

Haha, how fitting, right?

Scarlett: This is not funny…!

Kino: It’s hilarious. 

I might even let you scream some more.

You’ll wake Yuuri up, he’ll come here to see what is going on…

Just to find us like this.

Fufu, go on, scream.

I’ll take it—

—Kino bites Scarlett—

Scarlett: Agh!!

( It hurts…it feels weird…! )

Kino: Nmm… 

Fufu…

You’re holding your voice back now? 

Awesome.

Scarlett: Ngh…!

( This is… )

( …So humiliating… )

( I hate it! )

( My hand hurts… )

( But I think my shoulder hurts more—! )

( This is awful…! )

Kino: Hmmm…

Interesting flavor.

Scarlett: Ugh… ( I hope he hates it and leaves me alone… ) 

Kino: … But I expected worse.

Scarlett: Ehh!?

Kino: Hahaha! You don’t taste like you smell, I’ll give you that.

Not quite as odd, even in this form. 

The fear factor definitely adds to the bitterness I was expecting from someone like you.

Scarlett: ——!? ( How am I supposed to take that!? ) 

Can— Can I go now?

Kino: Hm? Nah.

——Ah, you’ll stain my sheets.

—Kino licks the wound; Scarlett squirms—

Scarlett: Ewww–!

Kino: !? Pff.

Hahahaha!

That’s the funniest reaction I’ve ever gotten!

Your body is giving all kinds of mixed signals, it’s great.

Will the flavor change overtime…?

I wonder…

—Kino bites her again—

Scarlett: O-Ow! Stop it!!

Kino: Nmm… Fufu.

Hahahaha!

You’re tensing, of course it’s going to hurt more!

It’s not too bad for me, so I can keep going for a while.

Scarlett: … Why…

Kino: Why, you ask…? Let’s see…

Because I was curious.

Because I wanted.

Because I won’t let you hurt me.

Because we know you can’t.

And because I can.

See how easy it is to give excuses? You couldn’t even make up one.

Or can you, now? What were you doing next to me?

Scarlett: … … ( How can I even explain…? )

( There’s no way he’d believe it. )

I... I don’t remember...

Kino: Liar.

Maybe another taste of my fangs will make you remember…?

Scarlett: …Go on.

Kino: Oh?

Heh. What kind of masochist are you?

Scarlett: Stop talking and do it.

Kino: Don’t dare me!

You know I will.

Scarlett: You already have…

So? 

Kino: … You’re so weird…

Scarlett: You won’t do it if I ask you to?

Then don’t do it.

Kino: That’s—

That’s not how this works!  

—Kino bites her again—

Kino: Ngh!

Scarlett: Ah—! 

( I am a fool. It hurts. )

( But I also want him to stop talking... )

Kino: Haa… mnh…

Scarlett: ( Oh, my… I’m dizzy… )

( And sleepy… all of the sudden… )

Kino: Ha, what, you finally gave in?

…You’re passing out already.

Sigh. See, that’s what happens when you struggle too much. You ruin the fun.

But that’s not new. You’re better off quiet anyway…

—He licks some blood off—

Scarlett: Nn… ( It’s awful… )

Is this… amusing for you…?

Kino: What of all? Biting you? Or...

Overpowering you? Seeing the fear in your face…?

Draining your energy so you’re unable to move under my grasp…?

In any case, yes. And a late night snack is always nice.

It is amusing... You wouldn’t get it. 

Scarlett: ( I wouldn’t…? ) 

( But, when he puts that way… it sounds like— ) 

Kino: Hey.

Scarlett: Hm? 

Kino: Your dear Master was a Vampire, right? 

Did she never do this? 

—Scarlett shakes her head—

Scarlett: ( She wouldn’t bite a Ghoul… )

 ( They don’t taste good. )

Kino: Heh… so I was your first?

Scarlett: !?

Kino: ...I don’t know how happy I can be for that, though. Pff.

Scarlett: ( Likewise... Why does he say it like that!? )

Kino: Well, it makes sense, I guess. It takes guts to bite a Ghoul, huh?

—Kino wipes his mouth—

Scarlett: ( What kind of pride do you take from this... )

Kino: Anyway, that’ll do for now.

You’ll sleep like a baby. You’re welcome.

Good night!

—Kino rolls over—

Scarlett: … … night… ( The smell of blood is making me dizzier... )

( But, as I thought… It’s not the worst pain I’ve ever felt. )

( I hate it, but… what he described sounds familiar, too. )

( … It’s just not fun when I’m the victim. )

( ‘You wouldn’t get it’, huh… )

( I’m too tired to argue, but this… )

( This is the last straw. )

( If I keep playing it safe, more of my blood will be spilled. )

( And that isn’t fair. )

( Though I can’t help but wonder… )

( Would it have been any different if I stayed away? )

—Dark Epilogue END—

[ Masterlist ] [ Next → Maniac Prologue ]

#Forbidden Voracity ☯ #Scarlett Wakahisa #Diabolik Lovers OC #.alternative coming out shortly 🗿 #.sorry for the wonky posting again lol

[campmurderparty]

rhiannon apoplectic: a side of rhiannon that he doesn’t seldom see, but the calm, loving rhiannon is the one he sees the most of, and prefers above all. rhiannon is often angry with him, he’s such a cruel being and she so soft, of course he’d catch on her nerves, but it’s unspoken between them that vasiliy will only tolerate so much—rhiannon, however, will tolerate almost anything. as endearing as it is when rhiannon’s anger is as fiery as her hair, it’s clear which one needs the other more, and his own nerves are thin naturally; her whining will only be indulged for a short amount of time, might as well let her get it all out now. it’s a powder keg, really. vasiliy will do maddening or hurtful little things until rhiannon can’t help but combust, it’s blameless but annoying. entertaining, too. “aннa!” vasiliy hisses in a harsh, whispered tone, eyes looking wildly around to indicate she’s being too loud, shushing her like a fractious child.

rhiannon as a corpse—it would be a lie to say he hasn’t thought about it, mostly when he gets irritated with the weight of her arm draped around his middle as they lay in bed attempting to sleep despite the groans of the undead outside the window or hearing her backpack jostle nosily behind him when they move to another temporary shelter, but vasiliy mostly speaks in lies. though he sometimes he imagines her death, sometimes by his own hand but most often not, that thing that keeps him so attached to her starts to ache. if rhiannon were to die or disappear, he would miss her, and only feel the tiniest bit relieved for random spurts of time. “i’m sorry.” he asserts, teeth clenched. he’s sorry he came back, maybe. he expected her reaction, he might react the same if she dared to disappear without a trace for three days, but the emotions of others are irritating and something he has to endure.

those pesky emotions of the emotional rhiannon aren’t going away with a tenderly whispered aннa and it’s not very often that it doesn’t immediately salve over the tension, or at least lessen it considerably. still, three days is a long time, and the longest he’s ever left her alone—really, she’s an adult, shouldn’t she be fine on her own for three days? it’s annoying how dependent she is on him, but it’s his favorite thing about her. “rhiannon,” vasiliy curtly hisses, her full name clunky in his slavic accent, though he hopes it shows how serious he is and not at all just trying to shush her up, “i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to leave you for so long.” he didn’t. if there’s any truth in his words, it’s that. “i met up to do some trading with a small group on 248th street but things went south. i couldn’t come back, do you understand?” his lips pull downwards into a frown that looks more like a pout. “it would kill me if i came back to you dead. i never want that to happen, ever.”

[olympiansrpg1-blog]

BASICS

Name: Rhiannon Maeve Arcenaux Age: 24 Affiliation: Neutral Occupation: Singer at The Warehouse  Faceclaim: Ashley Moore Status: TAKEN by Josie

THE STORY

They call you Persephone, and you have seen death far too often, always close but never quite close enough. Death took your parents from you when you were still too small to fully understand it, leaving you with your godparent, Demeter, and unwittingly under the care of Cronus. You grew up within the gang, dreaming of one day making it to the big stage, but it wasn’t until recently that you have begun to see the true horrors beneath the surface, the kind of terror that took even Cronus away from you and Demeter. Perhaps that’s why you didn’t hesitate when Demeter asked you to bring Hades down - you do not care for the war, but you’d do anything for them. The darkness no longer scares you; your lips are stained red and there’s no going back. You’re part of them now, and you think that you’re beginning to enjoy it. 

CONNECTIONS

DEMETER - You know you owe Demeter the world for taking you in and raising you when your parents died. It may be that gratefulness - or guilt - that may be driving you to finally become more involved with the mob and do more. And now that you’ve tasted that sweet freedom, you can’t help but wonder if they’ve been holding you back all these years. 

HADES -  Those who know Hades know to fear them, but you’ve never quite understood why. You’ve barely given Hades a second glance until you were asked by Demeter to find their weakness and to use it. It’s a dangerous dance - not because of what Hades could do if they found out, but because you’re starting to see why so many revere them.

ATLAS - You’ve always been loved, but even so, have never quite understood the feeling of having a family outside of Demeter. Atlas is dangerous - someone who’ve hurt your friends, but you can’t help but want to know more about them, someone who must have known a different side to Cronus that you did. 

SUGGESTED FACECLAIMS

Zendaya Coleman, Lulu Antariska, Naomi Scott, Ella Purnell, Ryan Potter, Skander Keynes

BIOGRAPHY

You remember their voices more than you remember their faces. You heard somewhere once that your hearing is the last to go when you die, and you hope that wasn’t true with your parents. Sometimes your dreams echo with the wail of a child in the middle of a crowd as gunfire rings out around her, and sometimes your dreams are filled with a warm, soft light where your parents wave you away from something blinding just behind them. You remember the dreams, and you hate them. You heard about it all afterwards. The rally, your father speaking up on stage. Rights for people like you and people like him and people like your mama. People whose bodies are not what they are supposed to be or people who love the same gender. You have scars from that day, but thankfully you were young enough to not remember getting them in perfect detail as you do almost anything else. Now, when doctors look at your file they casually remark that it’s such a miracle that you lived, but you trace those scars like constellations and sometimes think that you shouldn’t have. After all, what have you brought to the world? You quickly brush those thoughts away and smile, because Demeter gets that look in their eyes whenever you mention it and you hate upsetting them. After all, they’ve given you everything, from the keyboard that sits in your bedroom to the pictures on your walls, from the books on your shelves to the life you have. You wouldn’t have made it without them, and you truly, truly love them. As you ran head first into life, stumbling and stuttering with your two front teeth missing because you fell down the stairs, you were well-protected, almost completely shielded from the world outside. There were always men in black lingering around as you tried desperately to skate backwards at the ice rink, and you saw one or two of them stifling a laugh into their hands when you fell on your butt and slid another foot. Their laughter plays on a loop in your head when you pull those memories out later on, to look back at just how stifled you were. They were always there when you begged to go to that music store on the corner with the records covering every inch of the walls, they were your constant audience as you came into your voice. Your voice which rang out at every given opportunity, with every single song that you became obsessed with as a child. (You had a particular love for the Little Mermaid, and Demeter surely hated you for how often you flipped your hair back up out of the tub and soaked them.) Music was the beat of your heart. You’d always loved it, and it simply was a part of you, like your curly hair and how blind you were without your glasses and your terrible dance moves. It wasn’t until you found a bunch of old videos of your parents and heard your mother’s voice that you realized you could do it, and at the tender age of six you announced that you were going to be a singer and no one was going to stop you. After that, it was all a matter of repetition. You wrote songs about your barbies (which were awful), and as you got older those songs grew into ballads and your heart laid out on a page. You were constantly doodling out bars and jotting down lyrics the moment the inspiration struck, and there was always a pen tucked away behind your ear just in case. (It got lost in your hair more than once.) No one was going to stop you. You were a force of nature, a squalling storm. A tiny child with her hands on her hips letting out a battle cry from the kitchen counter and a bulldozer on the playground. You made people laugh simply by being yourself, and the other kids were always drawn to you. You grew up messy. Everything was changing, constantly, and there wasn’t a week that went by that you didn’t redecorate your room or even the entire house. Demeter could leave for business and come back to you shoving the couch with all your might while two bodyguards actually moved it, your tiny feet skidding a little in your bunny slippers. Since you learned your first words you’ve been a little bossy, more than a little adventurous, and honestly, a complete handful. There was no reining you in once you got your mind set on something, and your imagination ran rampant. (There was a particular moment from a movie that you recreated so many times that Demeter banned Indiana Jones for the rest of your life. You still sigh when you see Harrison Ford’s face.) Maybe the change was needed, with your memory so stark and clear. You could never stand to be stagnant, and it caught in your throat like too big of a bite of food and stuck there. You’ve started to settle as you’ve gotten older, less desperate for change and for new and exciting things. Of course you’ll always want new and exciting things, but for the most part you don’t have to change your room around every week to feel like you’ve done something. Just like you were always aware of those black-cloaked shadows that followed you everywhere, you were intrinsically aware of what it was Demeter and Harvey did; the scent of blood was something you remembered starkly and it has always been the thing that is the harshest in your memory. Your brain cycled through a million options for what could make either of their hands smell like blood, but deep down you knew what it truly was even as you tried to convince yourself they were in a fight club or they were spies. It all made too much sense, and for someone who loves puzzles as much as you, it was too easy to put the pieces into place. Of course your curiosity got the best of you, and you’d ask questions of both of them without thinking, only to get sharply shushed or told that you weren’t old enough. That was always a source of frustration, but you learned quick that it was easier to watch and learn than it was to try and prod answers out of those particularly stubborn mules. Actually discovering the truth, seeing it for yourself, is something you almost wish you could scrub from your mind. You wish you could wipe it all out and start over. You just wanted to play your music, be a star. You wanted your voice to ring out on Broadway. But in some ways, it made you closer to Demeter and Harvey, now that they no longer had to keep your eyes mostly shielded. The darkness rested on the tip of your tongue like a candy, something sour and then sweet that left a taste behind you couldn’t describe. It’s not that you enjoy the idea of violence, but you’ve always been interested in the dynamics of a mob (after all, your favorite books are biographical and historical, pictures painted of the first mobsters). So you dive in headfirst as you have with all other things. You learn, every inch of it, and even if you aren’t an active participant, you absorb it all. And then Harvey is dead. Harvey is dead. You play it on repeat for days, the moment you got the news. The most vulnerable you’ve ever seen your adopted parent, even if it was just for a moment. You get stuck in the memory, and when you finally come out days later, you have to filter back through to remember his funeral and everything before and after. Harvey is dead, and you’re still here. And then Olympus is splitting. Your world is crumbling, and those shadow figures are disappearing and reappearing and Demeter’s smile is like a snarl in the dark. You’re still so young when it all happens, in your last year of high school and waiting for something, but not knowing what. You watch your family being split in two, these figures who are perfectly framed in your memories. The pictures are tearing apart, flames consuming them, and you’re left in the ashes of what’s left, unwilling to step to the right or to the left. So you march forward, over and under, unswerving in what you have to do and who you are. You will never compromise yourself for someone else- until Demeter asks you to go deeper. A weakness for a pretty face. You’re bright, your mind is a weapon. You can take him down from the inside. Hades is your target, but knowing both sides so intimately, recognizing faces and still being caught in the middle no matter where you go, has your brain taking snapshots faster than you can handle. You obsess over every moment, constantly watching and waiting, and you don’t know what’s on the horizon, especially with the Titans sitting like an army, waiting for your family to falter. And they’re still your family. They’re all you have, both old and new. So you keep going forward, and you become compromised, and all you can think of are simpler and kinder days. You miss Harvey. You keep moving forward. You sing. You are a Valkyrie, you are a hurricane. Nothing can stand in your way.

#persephone #skeleton rp #lsrpg #gang rp #greek myth rp #neutral #tw death #taken

[raleigh-ocean]

the kiss-y promise

summary: It didn’t matter that she was late, it didn’t matter that it took her three years to come back. All that mattered to Sally was the way Raleigh was smiling at her from the hotel hall downstairs, how she opened her arms tiredly and almost didn’t make it to say ‘see? I’m a woman of my word’ before the blonde ghost tackled her to the ground.

works: 3, 264

N/A: placed after ‘take my soul, not my body’ and ‘water lillies bloomed from chaos (and love) third chapter’; Raleigh is sent to LA by Cordelia to take care of some possible students, so she decides to reunite with her friend. 

One breath in, one breath out.

Looking up till her eyes could, all that...energy trying to pull at her out of familiarity instead of greediness, Raleigh tried to calm herself by trying to count every window in the building. She was always so sure of everything, that this was hilarious. She didn’t even stutter when she encountered something she probably didn’t know about.

Raleigh couldn’t help but look at her clothes, actually worried about that. She had changed into some overalls to be comfortable and she was wearing the other plain t-shirt she brought with her. She should have bought more clothes, an actual suitcase instead of her old backpack actually. But it was going to be a quick thing, a three days two nights thing and then she was back home.

Why was she worried about her clothes?

Taking one of the sleeves of her jacket to her nose, taking in Wilhemina’s scent with her, Raleigh thought she still wasn’t used to be blind about stuff coming her way. It felt strange to not be prepared and it only increased her anxiety, however this time there was a feeling of expectation under all of that. And she kinda liked the taste of that expectation for the unknown, she thought while smiling at the memory of a few hours ago.

Fixing her hair absent-minded in her reflection on the door, Raleigh thought she needed a cut. It got too long and she didn't have that much patience nor will to keep it nicely done.

Now that she was looking at herself a bit more in detail, it only made her think if she was going to recognize her. Well, she looked the same maybe? but now she was a bit more full, more healthy, more…Raleigh didn't know that, but she knew for sure that all of those questions in her head were to keep herself from doing what she was going to do in that hotel.

She may had not changed, but the hotel Cortez did in someway.

A last moment alone in Los Angeles autumn weather to clear her mind and then…Raleigh was in. Her steps were louder than she thought against the tiles, making herself feel self-conscious, but she kept walking and trying to ignore that detail. With shaky hands she pushed the entrance door as if it was the most delicate thing, and once she was in the small carpeted hall between both entrance doors, Raleigh felt how all the energy from the placed started to move and let her in.

It was then when the actual nervousness started.

What if she wasn't happy to see her? She already had her share of people being unhappy or not even glad she came back, so why would she be? Maybe it was her end? An end after having met an incredible woman, after seeing everyone was happy, after having her only goal in life fulfilled?

A good end indeed.

When she dared to finally open the last door, she did it shyly. As if she was bargaining somewhere she shouldn't be. The whole place was exactly the same in the inside, as much as the outside had changed, only with some more modern touches here and there. There was music playing softly in the distance, maybe in the bar upstairs, and Raleigh's eyes landed in the empty front desk. She should have made a reservation, maybe they were full? Tightening the grip in the straps of her backpack, she made her way towards there the same.

Clearing her throat a bit, reciting a spell under her breath to make her voice sound a bit louder, she put her hand over the hotel bell before pushing the button to make it sound through the almost silent hall.

"Hello?" the spell worked as she wished, going over the sound of the bell with more might that she thought. "Excuse me? Anybody?"

Sally stopped the radio as soon as a voice came from the downstairs hall with such strength. She was supposed to cover the spot for Iris until she came back from feeding, but she got bored and soon she found her way to the bar. Liz didn't seem to mind that she was not doing her job, they got only a few clients a day and mostly during nights rather than day time.

"Shit, shit, shit," she put off the cigarette before running her hands over her cheetah printed coat, trying to smooth any possible wrinkles, and then her hands wiped her face in case there were tears there.

Doing a bee-line run towards the balcony first, she wished the client didn't go away already. Sighing loudly when she saw the back of whoever it was, she put a rehearsed smile on before rising her voice.

"I'm sorry!" Sally put both hands in the golden banister, starting to go down the stairs a bit faster. "Did I make you wait?"

It was so out of herself acting like that, but they needed to act polite and cool to get the historic certificate and everyone had to put their part to it. Even her. Sally didn't wait for the customer to talk back, starting to go downstairs without missing a beat.

"Not as much as I made you wait, I'm afraid,"

Sally's eyes went directly to the…woman? Whose back was still facing her. At least for a few more seconds, because when she turned around Sally found herself looking into two familiar hazel eyes.

Impossible.

It was all a joke.

Supporting herself in the handrail again, as if she actually needed, Sally's warm tears started to roll down her cheeks without any control. Her dead heart flipped against her ribcage, hurting like no tomorrow, while her legs got weak. She was a ghost and she was feeling too alive. But hell, that soft smile in her lips…it was one of pure shyness and nervousness.

How many years did they spend apart? How many years had she waited for that scene to happen? How many nights she waited, looking at the main door, knowing it was all another lie?

"I did promis-'

Raleigh couldn't finish what she was going to say, being hit by another weight that took her down to the carpeted floor. The only thing her arms could do was wrap the body that was pressed against hers, trembling uncontrollably with each intense sob. She managed to twist her body enough to not fall in her back, both falling sideways to the floor, so her backpack was safe. Closing her eyes and pressing her lips against Sally's cold forehead, Raleigh felt her anxiety melt away and a new smile rose to her lips as cold hands reached for her face and caressed her cheeks with trembling thumbs.

"You are here," Sally's brown eyes met Raleigh's hazel again and there wasn't sadness filling them, only pure happiness and hope. "You did it, right? This…it means you did it."

Raleigh didn't know what exactly she was talking about, what exactly she did. The only thing she was able to get right in three years was fixing her head, because everything else was an utter disaster.

"I need you to tell me everything, sunshine," Sally was excited for both, more than that, soon trying to get up from the floor and pulling Raleigh up with her as she could. "We need to catch up, over drinks, over food, over whatever you like; Liz! Liz!" her voice was even louder than Raleigh's without the amplifier spell. "You have to tell me how good Sara welcomed you back home, I bet she was over the roof!"

And Raleigh let herself be dragged by her ghost friend towards the bar, trying to figure out how to tell Sally that Sara was waiting for her with Rhiannon taking her hand; how she slapped her first and then ignored her after sorting her into a room, as if she was a nobody.

Liz took her hand between hers upon seeing her sit by Sally's side in the counter, even going so far to compliment her. Feeling Sally's hand going through her long hair while Liz was talking, felt more like home than it did to go back to the Academy. She felt finally that someone was happy to see her and it made her feel how old tears were going back to her eyes.

But she wasn't going to cry them. Letting Sally cry for both was better.

“I’m so happy,” Sally’s statement was ever so soft after Liz went to get the two of them a drink and something to eat for Raleigh. “You look…beautiful, Ray. Did you really go to save the world or it was all a lie? Because you look fresh out of a spa," she laughed openly before lit up the cigarette between her lips.

“Oh shush,” Raleigh felt her cheeks burn, the feeling of having a knot in her throat being a bit more tight. “Three years under healing mud seems to do wonders, but I don’t think it made me look better. You had to see me right when I came back from the hole, I was like a big skeleton.”

“A sexy one I bet,” another laugh and Raleigh only nudged her shoulder, shaking her head. “C’mon babydoll, you know I can’t lie to you,” looking into each other’s eyes, they felt the sincerity behind that. “I saw you in really deep shit and had to take care of you, I own the right to tell you ‘shut the fuck up and take the compliment’.”

Raleigh sighed in defeat to that and it only made Sally smile wider. Out of the few friends she had in her whole life, the ghost was the one she held closer to her. Not because she was the oldest in time, she was the ‘newest’ indeed; but because she knew Sally would always talk to her straightforward, without holding a back a single thing.

She was glad that Sally seemed to enjoy leading the conversation because as soon as they had their drinks and the food with them, they engaged in some catch up conversation that Raleigh controlled enough to not talk about Cordelia or Misty at all. It was easier when she told Sally about how bad she was with her phone, and after a few hours of Sally trying to explain her stuff she resumed that she was still pretty much a sucker. At least she knew now how to send videos faster or even how to save something without making a screencap.

The conversation also lead to how Raleigh knew about Sally’s whereabouts during those three years. Seeing Sally blush because she had an actual real fan of her was something fascinating, and soon there were plans for Mallory - sweet and oblivious Mallory - to have a couple things from Sally and even an autograph.

Raleigh didn’t remember her friend that...free? As if she was actually enjoying her existence finally. But she was diving in all that happy attitude, soaking in everything and letting herself relax after four stressful months of trying to fit in again.

Wilhemina gave her that feeling too, even when she seemed so different from Sally.

“Well, now,” Sally brought Raleigh back to Earth by taking her hand, intertwining their fingers. “What about settle you up in my room for the night?” Her eyes had a glow she didn’t have last time she saw her. “I mean, are you staying right?”

“Of course I’m staying,” the habit of trying to keep her calm rose above her worries, but she really wanted to stay so it wasn’t a lie. “I need a shower, I need to go over some files, I need t-”

And then Sally had her hands in her cheeks, cupping her face with care and all the love she missed, pulling Raleigh into a kiss.

It caught her by surprise how tender Sally’s lips were against hers. The scarred memory in her brain wasn’t like that at all, Sally’s kisses were needy and somewhat sloppy, ready to jump into a more heated kiss at any moment. But now it was as if she was getting used to her again. When they pulled apart, Sally had the biggest grin in her lips.

“As much as I love having you, I don’t like you to be stressed out already,” Sally giggled and then caressed lovely Raleigh’s cheek with her thumb. “Let’s go up and do the parts that doesn’t involve you going all bananas,” tilting her head softly, she gave one last peck to the witch. “Alright?”

There wasn’t any kind of desire behind those kisses, they were enough, they were just there for her to stop thinking and that’s all.

Raleigh followed Sally then, letting the ghost take the lead again. Their hands never parted, even when they reached the elevator and the doors closed. None of them talked during the little trip from the bar to Sally's room, but there wasn't a need to break the comfortable silence.

Until Sally left Raleigh's side to leave her backpack over the bed, and the words left her lips in a broken whisper.

"They were together, Sally," she felt too big for her own body, too big for her own mind. "Misty got back while I was away and…" her hand covered her mouth for a second. "They got together."

"For Christ's sake," Sally put off her cigarette in the nearest ashtray, her eyes shining with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "Are you for real?"

"Hearing them fucking is real enough?" Raleigh chuckled lightly, and the ghost let out a low growl with a new curse.

"What are you going to do?"

Sally almost barked that question, her eyes now focused in her friend. She had seen her physically vulnerable, but never mentally. Her eyes always shining with some sort of hope for the future she had ahead, but now that she was looking at her again there wasn't any trace of that. Raleigh looked more lost than ever standing there in her overalls and with that look in her face that told Sally she was about to cry.

"I don't know," she lifted her hands to her head and then her eyes finally met Sally's again. "I can't know anymore."

Walking towards her friend, Sally felt a tug in her whole being. Her arms were soon around her tall figure, pulling her as close to her body as she could and kissing every inch of skin her lips came across.

"It's okay babydoll, it's okay," her hands weren't grabbing, were holding her in place like they used to do back when they were together. "We'll figure something out, I promise," their eyes met and Sally wasn’t crying for once. Her eyes were clear when she pulled her into a new kiss, one so tender and unlike her that it was as if she was different person. “Let me kiss-y promise to you this time.”

To repeat the same thing Raleigh told Sally three years ago, made her heart completely melt. That wasn’t the Sally she left, it was a new one that was able to take control over the situation. Her hands never left Raleigh’s body, reassuring her that she wasn’t alone anymore and she let herself be loved by the ghost like that.

Keep her grounded one more time won’t hurt anyone, right?

“You kiss-y promised,” Raleigh chuckled that and it put a new big grin in Sally’s face. “You know that’s a real big deal, right?”

“Oh, I know, believe me,” Sally started to undo the overall slowly, helping her friend out of it. “And you are worthy of all those promises.”

Raleigh couldn’t gather, for once, any kind of response. It left her in a state of peace that she didn’t have since she came back from her ‘time-out’. And it also made her almost forget what she needed to do in the afternoon, now that she was resting in bed with Sally after a long hot shower.

She was falling asleep when Sally brought it back to her head, just because she had their phones over her lap and was the first one to see it.

“Who’s this Wilhemina...” she narrowed her eyes, trying to see the screen better. “...and why is she texting you an address and ‘don’t be late’?”

“I met her last night,” Raleigh’s heart did a flip in her chest, feeling the back of her neck and her ears warm. “I completely fo-”

“Oh for-She’s hot,” Sally laughed, checking her profile picture, and then realized what her friend said. “Wait, last night?”

“I slept in her house, we ahm, it turned out she was a witch,” why was she getting nervous now? Now all the information was a mess in her head. “I’m trying to-I mean, Cordelia thinks-We think it would be better if she was in New Orleans with us and-”

Sally put her hand over Raleigh’s mouth to stop her from rambling for a second while her eyes were fixed in the screen. Both watched in silence how Wilhemina was typing something else, aside of her professional like text about a date? and none of them expected the next message.

Where did you leave my stockings btw?

“You had a one night stand,” Sally’s voice started to go up. “And you are seeing her again,” Raleigh started to be more awake, trying to not be near her friend’s hands. “And she is-Oh my god, miss Ocean, you absolute-”

“Please, Sall, calm down,”

“No!?” Raleigh wasn’t fast enough to get out of bed and then she was on the floor with Sally straddling her to stop her from moving. “Why didn’t you tell me!? How can you leave that ou-”

The sound of the door startled both and Raleigh felt all her magic being called, as self-defense, ready for anything that was coming their way. Soon the view of a woman she wasn’t familiar with came before her and she looked worriedly at her ghost friend, now smiling with the force of thousand suns.

“Sorry honey, I got into a fist fight this morning and Ram-” her slurred speech got cut after she left her jacket over one of the couchs, her tired eyes trying to discern about what was going on in the floor of the room. “Are we having a threesome? or are you busy?”

“Honey?” Raleigh’s eyes went to Sally, that rolled hers. “Now who’s leavi-”

“Shush,” Sally’s hand over the witch’s mouth again and her free one stretched out to take the other woman’s hand “Adri, love, we have an emergency,” the woman smiled at the sweet name and got closer. “My friend here has a date and we might need some of your shirts, she didn’t bring shit for a three days trip.”

“Oh, that’s-” her smile then faded and Sally and Raleigh frowned worriedly at that change. “Hmm, excuse me a sec-”

When they were left alone again, just because Adri - Adriana, as Sally told Ray - had to get whatever she had ingested out of her system, both women stood where they were left in the floor. There was a glint in Sally’s eyes that hinted that she was up to some mischief. Or at least, she was up to get a bit of revenge.

The sweetest, it seemed, because once the date was over Raleigh couldn’t help but smile a bit excited.

Wilhemina ended up accepting to go with her to New Orleans...but also couldn’t keep her eyes off her neckline.

#sally mckenna #raleigh ocean #sally mckenna & original character #original character #ahs hotel #ahs coven #ahs apocalypse #american horror story #hypodermic sally #adriana girardi