~moonbathed*

"You flatter me, Atlas," she murmured, her voice a soft purr. "But I think you're far more capable of beautiful trouble than you give yourself credit for. You just need the right… motivation." Her crimson lips curved into a knowing smile, and her hand brushed against his arm as they continued their leisurely walk toward her home.

As they approached the door, Vivienne slowed her pace, the warm glow of the porch light casting a soft halo around her dark features. She tilted her head to glance at him, her expression softening just enough to hint at genuine gratitude beneath her playful demeanor. "For what it's worth, I do appreciate your company tonight. Temptation aside, you've made the evening far more bearable than I anticipated."

She stepped up on the lower step of her steps, her heels clicking softly against the stone, and placed a light kiss on his cheek. The gesture was brief but deliberate, her cool lips leaving behind a whisper of her presence. "Thank you, Mr. Moretti," she said softly, her voice laced with a sincerity that was rare for her. "For indulging me."

With that, Vivienne turned, her hand resting momentarily on the doorknob. She cast him one last glance, her smile a mixture of charm and mystery, before slipping inside and letting the door close behind her.

"I speak only the truth, Vivienne." Atlas chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Maybe someday the motivation will find me, but I don't think today is that day."" He said, the tone of her voice causing him to smile perhaps a little too suggestively. But, he quickly stopped himself as they approached her house.

Having run into Vivienne had made for a far more interesting evening than Atlas had thought he would have. He always enjoyed running into familiar faces, especially when he came home. Vivienne was someone who had a way of talking, of acting, that reminded Atlas of the finer things in life. He watched her as she started up the steps to her door, closing his eyes gently and smiling as she kissed his cheek, the coldness of her lips leaving a reminder even after she had moved away. "And thank you, Ms. Beaufort, for allowing me the pleasure of your company."

Atlas stood there as Vivienne went up the remaining steps and into the house. He lingered for a moment, before turning to walk back to his own home.

His cheeks flushed faintly at the mention of Jay, but he didn’t shy away. “You’ll definitely meet him. I mean, if I don’t scare him off first by hyping it up too much.” He let out a soft laugh. “I think you’ll like him. He’s...steady. Like, the kind of steady that makes you believe everything’s going to be okay." Beau leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful. “It means a lot to hear you’re proud, though. I don’t think I say it enough, but you’ve been kind of a touchstone for me. So, yeah. I’m glad you’re here, Atlas. Really glad. And I hope you stay awhile."

Beau looked down at the menu for a moment. "Should we order?"

Atlas chuckled, shaking his head. "I find it hard to believe you could ever scare anyone off. There's nothing wrong with being excited about love. Honestly, that's how you know you're in it." His expression softened as Beau spoke about Jay. He remembered that feeling fondly. "Hold onto that. It's the best feeling in the world, and it doesn't come around all that often." He knew Beau would do exactly that. "Please, you give me too much credit. All that you are, and all that you've done and accomplished is because of who you are." It was moments like this that reminded Atlas why coming home was so important.

Returning his attention to the menu, he nodded his head. "Yes, I think we should. Order whatever you like, it's on me."

The morning air still had a bite of cold, and the sun's rays were not yet high enough in the sky to melt the frost that had settled over the grass. With every step she took through the solemn graveyard, a soft and satisfying crunch followed, though Emel took no notice of the beauty of the cold surrounding her, mind preoccupied with thoughts much too heavy for so early in the morning.

Her parents weren't buried in this cemetery, nor was her older sister. And why would they be? It had been nearly twenty years since the fire happened, half a continent away from this town. Half that since she'd visited the tomb where they lay, and yet, for some reason she had yet to find an explanation for, Emel felt closer to them here than she ever had in the city she'd thought was her home. There was a pull she couldn't explain that brought her back to this location on mornings when she was not working.

Her feet stop at a gravestone she does not recognize, marked with the name of a stranger she could never have known. The overgrown lichen and ample moss covering the stone suggest that this stranger had not been known by anyone for a long while, and the sadness that had already begun to overwhelm her becomes nearly suffocating at that moment.

A deep breath, in and out, as her gloved hands clenched tightly at her sides, nails nearly breaking through the black leather as she attempted to ground herself. Control had been hard to learn for so long, and Emel was slowly beginning to realize it was a near-unending journey. It cracked, and her fists started to shake, and then she walked away as quickly as she could.

Or, she tried to, at least. Maybe it was the blur of tears in her eyes that obscured her vision, or perhaps someone upstairs had simply decided peace was not in the cards for Emel on this day ( or any day ); in her haste to leave, she ran, literally, into someone who had been arriving and nearly took the both of them down to the ground.

“Holy shit, I am so so sorry. Oh my god, that was completely my fault, are you okay ? I am so incredibly sorry,” even before she can process who she’s bumped into, Emel is already stumbling over as many apologies as she can in the shortest amount of time.

But, it wasn't something he could dwell on. It would only make staying that much harder, and right now Raven's Peak was where he needed to be. His sister was here, his oldest friends were here. Things were happening that they couldn't explain, and leaving now would be a bad idea.

After placing bunches of flowers on the graves of his family, he made his way back towards his car. He'd made it almost all the way back when he remembered something and suddenly turned around to go back. Almost immediately, he bumped into someone, and despite his best efforts to catch not only himself, but the woman as well, they both ended up on the ground.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" He asked, his tone somewhat amused until he saw the state the woman was in. "Are you alright?" Atlas asked again, this time a little softer.

“I’m really glad you’re sticking around for a bit. It feels like everything’s been moving so fast lately, so having you here? It’s like... grounding, you know?” Beau reached for his drink, his gaze softening as he looked at Atlas. “And while you’re here, don’t be surprised if I rope you into taste-testing some of my new recipes. I might need a second opinion on a few things I’m working on.”

Beau hesitated for a moment, then added, “But more than that, I’m glad we’ll have the chance to catch up properly. You’ve always felt like family, Atlas, and it’s nice to have you home for a while.”

Outside of his sisters and the Morgraves, there weren't all that many people left in Raven's Peak that Atlas felt truly connected to. Beau was one of them, having known him for many years, watching him grow into the man he had become. He was proud, in a weird sort of way, and to hear that Beau was glad to have him around filled him with the same warmness that he felt when he was with his sisters. "I can't tell you how glad I am to be able to catch up with you more, and to taste-test some of your recipes. And hopefully to meet the man who has you so enamoured."

"Oh, darling Atlas, if I may," she purred, her voice like velvet dipped in honey, "if you're looking for a bad influence, you've stumbled upon a masterpiece of mischief." Her dark eyes sparkled with a wildness that seemed both enticing and dangerous, as though she were daring the world itself to cage her. "Self-indulgence isn't a strong suit of yours, you say? Such a pity. A man like you, with such restraint… such potential—what a waste of sinless perfection."

She pressed closer, her cold hand lingering in his warm one, her fingers curling just enough to send a shiver up his spine. "But don't worry," she murmured. "I am an artist in turning potential into indulgence, and I have a particular fondness for painting my canvases with trouble."

Her gaze dropped to his hand, which had squeezed hers moments ago, before snapping back up to meet his eyes. "You see, trouble isn’t just an act—it’s an experience, a thrill that leaves a mark. And with you…" She tilted her head, studying his face as though trying to decide what sort of chaos he might crave, "...I think we'd make quite the beautiful mess together. Don’t you?"

Her smile widened, her expression teetering between charm and madness. "Now, tell me, Atlas—how deep into the dark are you willing to venture? I assure you, the fall will be exquisite. And perhaps," her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "a little criminality is just what you need to loosen those virtuous binds of yours."

"No, not anymore, not for a long time." There had been a time, back when he was a human, when he was in love, that self-indulgence was something he partook in quite often. But, since the loss of his wife, he'd made a point to limit himself. Fun was good, but getting attached was dangerous. With his seemingly endless lifespan, finding someone to spend time with who wouldn't just be a blink of a moment was difficult. He wasn't naive to the fact that Vivienne was also immortal, but he didn't want to find himself getting attached to someone who was involved with someone else. Especially when that someone was a Morgrave. The Morettis and the Morgraves had not long settled their differences for the most part, and Atlas didn't want to be the reason that fell apart.

But, with the way that Vivienne pressed closer, the way that her hand lingered in his, Atlas found himself starting to crave the trouble that she was trying to tempt him with. Swallowing hard, he tried to push it from his mind. "I have no doubt in my mind that you are a master of that particular art. I'm sure you have a way of making the most beautiful trouble one could possibly imagine." He was more tempted by the minute, and even with willpower as strong as his, he was starting to struggle.

"The mess we could make could be truly awe-inspiring, but I can't help but to think of the consequences. A fatal flaw of being so virtuous, I suppose." He said, letting out a short laugh. To his core, he was still the gentleman that he had been taught to be, and as much as he would enjoy an evening with Vivienne, the repercussions weighed heavily on him. "However, I'd be lying if I were to say that I wasn't tempted by your most generous offer."

The implication, or at least how she understood them, was that they hadn't been a family for a while. He wasn't exactly wrong. While she desperately clung to the idea that she could save her siblings from any sort of distress, the truth was she couldn't. Most people, mortal people, feared death. That was the ultimate loss. But for her family and the Morgraves, it was becoming the reverse. It was truly living they were afraid of because at some point, they would have to go on without the people around them. Everything around them was so temporary. Everything but the curse that kept them in this endless cycle.

"I'm not sure what more we could tackle to be honest," she was letting her melancholy overtake her, and at a party no less, "Even a victory is temporary since we'll out live it."

He meant every word he said, and he hoped that Anitta could see what he was trying to get across to her. "Now, let's get ourselves another drink and add this evening to the list of small victories, shall we?"

Stupid eBay, Ivan grumbled to himself and drank from his coffee cup. It was supposed to be a dying platform, why were so many people on here bidding on this particular cabinet? Losers, he thought, and bid on it again.

“Oh!” He looked up, surprised when the other addressed him. “Not at all, go right ahead!” He scooched over on the bench to make extra room. “It is, isn’t it? The weather is perfect.” He drank another sip of coffee. “What brings you out here?”

Atlas took a seat on the bench and leaned back, talking in the area around them. "What brings you out to the park today?" He asked, making polite chit chat. The last thing he wanted to do was distract the man from whatever it was that he was doing on his phone, but he'd always been a chatter, so he just couldn't help himself.

Oh, absolutely not. This man hadn't aged a day in all the years she'd known of him, despite being the same species as herself. He was from one of the original founding families -- all of whom had somehow found an everlasting elixir of life. Which meant he would never grow old and he would never die, while she would. This man needed to get himself a partner that would last as long as he would.

Ney stood up, and looked over to where Rupert was pretending he was camouflaged. "His name is Rupert -- thought he'd like to get some sun today but, apparently he'd rather play hide and seek." Her attention returned to Atlas himself. "Listen, before anything else is said here," her tone came off more businesslike than she intended, but that was typical when she was 'handling' an issue, "it's clear that nothing will come out of this." She gestured between the two of them. "You're a handsome man, and I certainly respect you and your family a great deal for what you've done with Raven's Peak, but obviously this is not.." Ney laughed a bit, finally seeing the sad humor in it. "I think our friends weren't really being serious -- maybe they're even trying to tell me to lighten up. But I've always been an upfront person that doesn't like to waste people's time, so.."

He nodded his head. "Understood." He wasn't about to pull out all his usual moves if they weren't going to be welcome, and Atlas wasn't the type of person to force anything on anyone. So, if Neylani didn't want this to be anything, that was fine with him. "If you'd rather not do this, I'd understand." Though it seemed that she thought their friends hadn't been serious about the match up, Atlas hadn't seen it that way, and he still didn't. He'd been prepared for a nice date in the park, maybe followed by some dinner. This was obviously not going to be that. He'd lived a long life, and he'd given up on finding his forever a long time ago. However, he did find himself feeling lonely from time to time, so he had at least hoped that maybe he could find some good company to spend some time with. "What I mean to say is that I would hate to intrude on your afternoon with Rupert."

He perked up, genuinely interested as Atlas shared his recent travels. "That sounds incredible, really. Seeing so much of the world and helping out different packs? It’s important work, and it suits you. But I get it…coming back here, it’s like stepping into a memory but different, you know? Things change, but there’s always that sense of home." Beau tilted his head at the older werewolf. "Are you planning on staying awhile?"

His travels kept him busy, and it wasn't often that he stayed in one place too long. It was how Atlas liked it, but coming home this time was different. "It was amazing, truly. Even for someone as old as I am, there is still so much for me to learn. It's been quite the experience, and I've enjoyed every moment of it." A fond smile spread across his face as he recalled his more recent travels. Atlas had made a lot of good friends, and he hoped he'd get the chance to go back and see them again soon. "I'll be staying for a while, the foreseeable future at least. It's been too long since I've had a decent amount of family time, so I plan on making the most of it while I can."

"That and this ridiculous fog," she rolled her eyes. She hated not having answers. She hated not being in control. She hated what the town turned her into. But this was where her siblings were right now, and she felt they were truly threatened. Even if she couldn't see the enemy. "And apparently Noah Morgrave was attacked and nearly killed. That was surprising news." For a few reasons that Anitta felt her brother would catch whether she said them out loud or not.

"I can't be sure," she sipped at her drink absently again, "And there aren't any witches alive with the kind of power we had back then. I'm not sure they'd be able to see it as we did. Plus," she bit her lip and sighed deeply. She didn't want to say it lest it manifest some long forgotten karma that she'd never actually outlive, "I'm just not sure if there are any witches I trust anymore. But I truly hope you're right," she nodded. Somewhat assured by her brother's words, "Together we could."

"Maybe not, but if there are some Ravenlock descendants running around, maybe if there are a few of them, they could conjure up that kind of power together." It seemed like a stretch, but if the Morettis and Morgraves were back, it wouldn't be strange for some of the Ravenlocks to have found their way to town too. They might not have been the same witches from back when the stone was broken, but they still had Ravenlock blood. It was worth a shot, even if it was a shot in the dark. "That's understandable, but maybe it's something to try. This town has already taken so much from all of us, I don't want to allow it to take any more."

Maia laughed, knowing that if she didn't like Noah or her job so much she would have switched in a heartbeat. Atlas seemed like a smooth talker and she found herself wondering what it would be like to work for him, among other things. "Well you definitely have piqued my interest, I'll tell you that."

She quickly waved his concern off. "It's best if I don't think about it, to be honest. But I have no doubt you're a good listener. Plus it's nice to know that even though you've been around a lot longer you probably heard the same sob story before." Maybe people didn't change as much as they thought as time went on. Maia quickly grinned when he said they should take the scenic route. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that." She settled in, turning to look at Atlas more. "So are you enjoying being back in your home town?"

He let out a soft chuckle. "No sob story is ever the same. People all experience things differently, it doesn't take away from the fact that it can still be hard just because other people have been through the same or similar." There weren't many things that Atlas hadn't seen or heard about in his long life, but that didn't mean he would ever not be a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on when someone needed it. "But, if you're sure, the offer is always there." He looked over to give her a reassuring smile before looking back at the road.

At her question, Atlas nodded his head. "Surprisingly, yes, I am. It's been a long time since I've stayed in one place this long, and I can't say I ever imagined Raven's Peak would be a place I would ever find myself settling again, but it has been nice so far. A lot of familiar faces, and plenty of new ones." For the first time in a long time, Atlas could see himself making his home in Raven's Peak again.

She glanced up at him, the faintest glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "Staying out of trouble… how very noble, though I dare say a bit disappointing." She squeezed his arm gently, teasingly, as they walked. "You’ve managed to avoid it for so long, but have you considered… a little indulgence might do you some good? After all, how often does one get to stroll through the night with such charming company?"

Her gaze lingered on him, the invitation clear but wrapped in a veil of her typical dramatic flair. "Besides," she added, raising an eyebrow, "if you’re in need of excitement, it would be positively criminal to let me slip away tonight without at least tempting you.”

The slightest hint of smirk appeared on his face at her words. "When you've lived as long as I have, finding any kind of trouble that I haven't found myself in before is rather difficult. But, perhaps with the right bad influence, I could manage it." Atlas was sure that Vivienne had no issues with finding ways to keep things interesting, and if she wanted to include him in that some time, he'd be a fool to say no. "Self-indulgence has never really been a strong suit of mine, which I'm sure comes as no surprise to you. But, I'm open to suggestions."

His warm hand gently squeezed Vivienne's cold one as they continued to walk. He could see what she was hinting at, and if he was being honest, he was tempted. But, it would make for a tricky situation considering Vivienne's ties to the Morgrave family. "Well, if it would be criminal, it would be remiss of me to not take you up on whatever you're offering. I am an upstanding and law-abiding citizen after all."

Finding Atlas at his door, Noah couldn't help but smile appreciatively at both the champagne clutched in his hand and the words spoken. "I don't think I could have asked for it to go any more smoothly than it did, so I definitely have no complaints. It's good to have Mirage open again." He steps back, offering space for Atlas to enter his home. "The success is at least in part to you and your staff, too. It seems only right we celebrate together."

It wasn't his first time in Noah's house, so Atlas made way through to find them some glasses so he could pour them a drink. "How's business been since? I imagine the regulars have all returned." He said when he found the glasses. "I've seen a few new faces at Nouveau, and I'm almost certain it's thanks to you."

He picked up the menu and pretended to study it, but the truth was he was more excited about the company than the food. “Oh man, where to start?” he chuckled. “So much has happened! I’ve been working on my baking a lot more, and I might’ve even experimented with some new recipes,” he said, trying to keep it light. He really only told Atlas and Mollie about his baking. He knew no one else would really understand his call to the sweets, but them.

“And of course, there’s Jay—everything’s been a whirlwind with him. I think I’m falling harder every day.” He paused, taking a sip of his drink, his expression softening as he thought about Jay. “But enough about me! How have you been? It’s great to have you back in town.”

His smile only grew as he started talking about Jay. "That's great to hear, Beau. Truly. There's no one more deserving of that kind of love than you, so I'm glad to hear that you've found it." Atlas was a romantic at heart, even though it had been many, many years since he'd had a love of his own. "Me? I've been well. Travelling around, working with packs around the world. More recently, I've been travelling around the states, but now I've found myself back here, and admittedly that feels a little strange. But, I'm glad to be back, and it's nice to see so many familiar faces around."