without.

Hope rolls her eyes at Josie's first statement. "Thank you for not murdering me, even though you could have," she pitches her voice slightly higher to mimic Josie's. "Why, you're welcome, Jo. Don't mention it." The tribrid glances at the rear view mirror, nothing but trees and empty road behind them. "You're the one who kept insisting that you won't stop trying to bring my humanity back. You should consider yourself lucky I brought you along. Now you won't have to waste precious energy to find where I am." Her head leans against the headrest lazily as she lets the car really speed down the empty stretch of highway. She speaks as nonchalantly as if they were trying to figure out what to have for lunch.

The shrill chirp of her cell phone interrupts them and Hope fishes the device out of her pocket and presses a button to answer the call. "Hello Agatha," she sings out in greeting. "Oh, sorry, did I ruin your surprise? I thought I'd cut right to the chase since we're all busy people. You might want to tell Greg the Alpha and whoever your vampire is that I'm on my way. Okay great chat, bye bye now." Hope hangs up the phone with her message delivered and she focuses back on Josie.

Josie's nose wrinkles slightly, and she crosses her arms over her chest, looking out the window at the trees and grass speeding along beside them. She does consider herself lucky, but she's also angry. Because she was right. She should have a moment to consider that a win, but now she's brought face to face with the reason she should have been careful in the first place. Swallowing, she glances back up towards the front of the car when she hears the call coming through.

"Do you expect me to smile and throw a party back here? Be real, Hope." She scoffs out, turning her entire body to face the window and passenger door - anything to prove to Hope that she's in fact, not happy about this new arrangement.

you sure don’t make it easy to follow you. | @asiphon

"You always say that." Except she's not teasing him this time, she's dejected. She knows that he has to do this on his own and it's something she's attempting to come to terms with - not that she thinks she can. Swallowing, she reaches for him, pulling him into a tight hug. "I just wanted to say goodbye is all. In case you don't come back. And if you do --" She leans up and presses a kiss to his cheek. ".. come find me after. Please."

When Lizzie first burst into Hope and Cleo's room, declaring that @asiphon was missing, Hope took three breaths to steady herself before replying. Even if every instinct was jumping to the ready to track down Josie, Hope reminded herself that Josie had been avoiding her for a reason. Not that she can really blame the other witch. So much has happened in the last few months, from Landon breaking up with Josie, to Josie succumbing to her dark magic, to sealing her magic away entirely and transferring to Mystic Falls High. It's the last one that stings Hope the most.

Once they're in the Old Mill, and Josie is safely on the couch, she feels like she can finally take a breath. It hurts, though that's not unexpected. When she breathes in, the bruises on her torso catch and pull -- but she's eternally grateful that nothing is broken and that nothing on her is covered and sticky with red. It's a small blessing, but a blessing nonetheless.

Though when she finally opens her eyes more fully, she can see what Hope's feeling through the set in her jaw, the way her lips are pressed together, the worry in her eyes. She's upset. At her, maybe. At herself? There's usually no way to tell without asking, so Josie shifts and tries to sit up a bit more fully - wincing the entire way.

"I was thinking - ah! - that I needed to help and that I knew what it was and where it would go, and that no one else was coming to help. I had to do something."

❛ i would let you rip me apart if it meant loving you. ❜

❛ this fear you feel? it won’t last. ❜

❛ you are my salvation. ❜

❛ i revolt you, don’t i? ❜

❛ get the hell away from me. ❜

❛ i want to sink my teeth into every inch of you. ❜

❛ i’ll be your dirty little secret, if that’s what you’re into. ❜

❛ worship me. until i tell you to stop. ❜

❛ don’t you know how sick with love i am for you? ❜

❛ fucking hit me already. ❜

❛ i would burn the world for you. ❜

❛ i don’t want to be good, no matter how hard you wish it. ❜

❛ i don’t know how you’ve bewitched me, but it needs to stop. ❜

❛ fix me. ❜

❛ they die for love, you kill for it. ❜

❛ you are mine, whether you agree or not. ❜

❛ do you like it when i bleed for you? ❜

❛ i will keep hurting. i will keep killing. anything to protect you. ❜

❛ i’m starved for you, morning and night. ❜

❛ now i get to ravish you. ❜

❛ i am your god and your executioner. ❜

❛ you are doing so well, my pet. ❜

❛ you’re my sweetest poison. ❜

❛ let’s do something about that mouth of yours. ❜

❛ your fascination with me will be your death. ❜

❛ you’re the monster that’s enticed me into your bed. ❜

❛ all you can say are pretty lies. ❜

❛ the fucked up thing is that it isn’t enough to just love you. ❜

❛ you’ve broken me. all i can think about is you. ❜

❛ you’ll beg for more. ❜

❛ an eternity with you would never satisfy me. ❜

❛ i would gladly let you drag me to hell. ❜

❛ everything i’ve done.. every horrible atrocity, it’s been for you. ❜

❛ you’re a fucking nightmare. kiss me. ❜

❛ feel grateful that i allow you to touch me. ❜

❛ every time your lips touch my skin, you burn me from the inside out. ❜

❛ there’s no black or white, only gray. ❜

❛ no one touches what’s mine. ❜

❛ make me indifferent, make me horrible. ❜

❛ i could never be the one to love you. i can only be the one that kills you. ❜

“ can you walk? “

“ i’m all right. “

“ you’re bleeding. “

“ lean on me. ” “ for support? “ “ yeah, why else? “

“ i’ll get you out of here. ”

“ are you crazy? i’m not leaving you! “

“ if you die on me, then what's the issue? you either live, or you die. “

“ just trust me, yeah? “

“ i don't need your help. “ “ are you sure? cause it sure does look like it. “

“ rich coming from the guy who tried to kill me three days ago. “

“ how bad is it? “ “ it’s bad. “

“ you got shot. there's a bullet in you. i can see it. “ “ i can feel it. “

“ stay with me. don’t close your eyes. “

“ i hate you. oh, i hate you so much right now. “

“ just remove the damn thing. “

“ i’m not a doctor. “

“ it didn't pierce your heart did it? “ “ no, clearly not. “ “that's unfortunate. “

“ you trust me, don't you? “

“ jesus fucking christ, you're annoying. “

“ don't touch me! “ “ how am i supposed to bandage you up if i can't touch you? “

“ don't touch me. “ “ then do it yourself you, egit. “

“ right now, you’re all i have. “

“ you’re going to be okay. we’ll both be. “

“ can you hear me? “

“ i'm scared. “

“ i don't wanna die. “ “ you're not gonna die, you here me? “

“ when have i ever put you in danger? actually, don't answer that. “

“ if i do this, do you promise to stop harassing me? “ “ absolutely not. what kinda sick request is that? “

“ i can’t feel my legs. “

“ can you walk? “ “i’m bleeding. “

“ here, take my gun. “ “ are you crazy? i’ve never used one before! “

“ i can’t get up. you’re gonna have to have to carry me. “

“ come on, i’ll bandage you up. “

“ look, i know we’re not exactly friends, but right now, you're all i got. “

“ you shoot. i distract. “

“ where’s the bullet? hey, i can’t find the bullet! “

“ why are you the one freaking out? i’m the one with a knife in my stomach. “

“ are you squeamish? because it looks like you’re gonna throw up. “

“ you've always impressed me. you're stronger than you look. “

“ you look like shit. “ “ thank you. “

“ here, take my hand. “ “ are you clean? “

“ i'm gonna kill you. “ “ for what, saving your ass? “

“ don't touch me. “ “ okay. shall i leave you here to die, then? “

“ stop it, you're hurting me! “ “ i need to get the knife out. “

“ didn't realize you had it in you. “ “ what? “ “ to care for another person. “

“ trust me, if anybody's going to kill you, it's going to be me. “

“ couldn't just let you die. fair fight and all. “

“ don't remove the knife, or you'll bleed to death. “

“ shut up before i kill you myself. “

“ just wait for me here. “ “ it's not like i can go anywhere. “

“ give me your gun. “ “fuck, no. “

“ why the hell did they stab you? “ “...should i have asked for an explanation? “

“ shut up or i'll give you a real reason to cry. “

“ you owe me. “

“ fuck you, i'm not doing this. “

“ what's wrong with you? you almost got me killed! “

“ yeah, well. perhaps i didn't understand just how much until this very moment. “ “ this is all your fault. “ “ don't act like you're not enjoying yourself. “

“ you're going to kill me, aren't you? “

“ why would you do this? why would you help me? “

“ call it a truce. “

“ why the hell did you stab me? “

“ i don't have anywhere else to go. “

“ i'm glad you're okay. “

“ thank you, for saving my life. “

“ i would have died if it wasn't for you. “

“ you can stay for as long as you need. “

“ we can go back to hating each other tomorrow. “